Over the last one month, the prices of protective masks in Nairobi has surged due to increased demand and the rising fear of coronavirus infection in Kenya.
According to a local manufacturer, Nairobi Enterprises Limited (NEL), reports Business Daily, the prices of protective masks has risen from Sh500 for a box with 50 units to Sh1,700 for the same box with the same protective gear.
The wholesale price of a single protective mask has shot to Sh34 from the initial Sh10 and dealers say the prices could go to as highs of Sh50 in the coming days.
NEL director Sanjay Purang while commenting on the issue stated that: “The price increase is inevitable because of the demand and for the fact that we are now forced to source for raw materials from India, Turkey and the US. Previously, we relied on cheaper raw materials from China.”
NEL enjoys the monopoly of being the only Kenyan manufacturer of protective masks.
The high demand of the protective gear by exporters selling it to China also contributed to the spike in prices after the virus was reported to have hit several African countries with 27 cases reported in Algeria and Nigeria.
In February, NEL exported 2 million masks to China pushing its production capacity to 200,000 per day from 20, 000 months before.
“We are producing 200,000 3-ply masks a day but we can increase capacity to 250,000 but this may impact on quality,” remarked NEL director.
Dr Jonah Manjari, CEO of Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (Kemsa) on Monday banned exportation of locally manufactured N95 and 3 ply surgical masks citing that Kenya needs enough stock in case of an emergency.
Coronavirus which first broke out at China’s Wuhan City has so far killed more than 3,000 people leaving a further 96,000 infected in 60 countries.
