With the current coronavirus pandemic, most businesses have suffered a loss due to lockdowns and the dusk to dawn curfew. The restrictions of foot traffic means no person can patronage your shops if they are at all open. But there are some firms that take advantage of the COVID-19 season to increase their bottom lines by supplying the much needed Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as gloves, masks, safety clothing and footwear and even sanitizers. The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) is warning the public about some brands of hand sanitizers that are of substandard quality and hence unable to provide protections against coronavirus as they should.
Below is a list of Kebs-banned hand sanitizers that your should avoid buying:
| Particulars: | Sanitizer Brand | Manufacturer |
| 1. | Scental | Cascade Industries Limited |
| 2. | Super-Guard | Amua Industries |
| 3. | Zoe | Flame Tree Africa Limited |
| 4. | Safi | Spectra Chemicals Limited |
| 5. | Velvex | Chandaria Industries Limited |
| 6. | MCL | Mayim Chayim Limited |
| 7. | Goodlife | Goodlife Pharmacy Africa Limited |
| 8. | Spot-X | Tania East Africa Limited |
| 9. | Max | Nine Yard Holdings Limited |
| 10. | Duogel | Impact Chemicals Limited |
| 11. | Ellena | Ellena Products Kenya Limited |
| 12. | Alison’s | Alison Products Kenya Limited |
| 13. | Banlo | Afrigo Kenya Limited |
| 14. | Rak | Yarash Products Company Limited |
| 15. | Lovillea | An Import product from Indonesia |
| 16. | Latest | Latest International Investments Ltd. |
| 17. | Eripride | Jomasons Entreprises |
| 18. | Clean Hands | C.CL Limited |
| 19. | Disanita | Sphinx Pharmaceuticals Ltd. |
| 20. | Skin Mate | Suprima Industries Kenya Limited |
| 21. | Quick Hand | Embechem Graphics Limited |
| 22. | Ruysun Advance | Ruysun Products |
| 23. | Vesrose | Barjor Chemicals |
| 24. | LiLi | Kenbrand Investment Ltd. |
| 25. | VitaClean | Vitafoam Ltd. |
| 26. | Antiseptic Vibes | Priderock Emporium Ltd. |
| 27. | Palvene | Palvene Sterile Chemicals |
| 28. | O-Rie | Not Indicated |
| 29. | Palm Maximum | Not Indicated |
The sanitizer ban came barely a month after the arrest of the Managing Director of KEBS Mr. Benard Njiraini for allegations of corruption in the firm. Mr. Njiraini was arrested on July 2nd, 2020 by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commision (EACC) officers after they were tipped about incidences of graft involving the Kebs boss when dealing with quality certifications of products slated for exports.
The EACC has been covertly investigating Mr. Njiraini for receiving bribes in the procurement of tenders for pre-export conformity of goods, used motor vehicles, mobile equipment and spare parts involving his company. It is alleged that Mr. Njiraini at one point frustrated the anti-corruption officers for failing to provide them with original documents to support his dealings with the business community in the country.
