Businesses, especially those that supply medical equipment related to the war on Coronavirus have been booming since the first case of the disease was reported in Kenya mid March.
In the initial days, face mask and sanitiser manufacturers cashed in on the surge in demand for these products, which are key to keeping the virus at bay.
Profiteers and counterfeiters have since seen an opportunity to make a kill with substandard goods, exposing the public to the risk of not only contracting the viral disease but to other public health and safety risks associated with poor quality products.
That is why the move by the Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs), which has issued the specifications that such products must meet is critical and must be stringently enforced. In April, the regulator banned 28 sanitiser brands because they did not comply with the set standards.
On Sunday, we reported that the Kebs banned another eight brands on the back of a rise in new Covid-19 cases. So far, no individual or company has been charged in a court of law for flouting the regulations and compromising public health safety.
The regulator and other enforcement agencies must now move from banning hazardous products and starting charging those implicated in their manufacture and sale.
This is the only way to send a strong message that such illegalities will not be entertained in Kenya. Feeble actions send the wrong message to the lawbreakers and abate impunity. That is why we challenge authorities to move from merely showing teeth to actually biting.
Unlock a world of exclusive content today!Unlock a world of exclusive content today!
