Condoms shortage in the country might soon be a thing of the past.
The country has in the recent past experienced a persistent shortage of condoms with lobbies warning that it could make the fight against HIV to regress.
However, it has now been established that construction of a condoms and gloves manufacturing plant has already begun in Dongo Kundu in Mombasa.
The move is expected to ensure a stable supply at an affordable price in the country.
Health lobbies however say the government should work to ensure supply in the meantime as the factory is likely to become operational in February 2024.
“I have reason to believe there is good news in the horizon. I have been made aware that there is a condoms and gloves factory that is coming up in Mombasa in Kenya,” Samuel Kinyanjui said.
“We are excited about that but we are still worried in the meantime before the plant goes live,” he added.
Kinyanjui is the AIDS Healthcare Foundation Kenya Country Programme Director.
Going further, he called on the government to ensure the taxes on production and distribution are reduced adding that it will enable other stakeholders to buy locally and reduce imports.
The Director noted that the return on investment on condoms is way higher than the taxes that the government would get adding that taxing of condoms will be a loss for the whole country.
Kinyanjui said the advisability of condoms will go a long way in ensuring the fight against HIV is sustained especially in this season when schools have closed for long a break.
“We cannot talk about HIV prevention, control and HIV-free generations without talking about condoms because we know sexual activities will happen and especially now we are looking at the holiday season of December and long time with the young people away from their schools,” he warned.
The shortage has been caused by shrinking donor funding and taxes imposed by the government on donated medical commodities.
Kinyanjui said the shortage has contributed to increased STIs and unplanned pregnancies, especially among teenagers.
He noted that at least 400 million condoms are needed in Kenya annually yet only 150 million are distributed.
Despite these concerns raised by the stakeholders, Health CS Susan Nakhumicha early this year moved to dispel fears of condom shortage stating that the government has an ample supply of the commodity.
"We have challenges on how these condoms reach mwananchi and it is because of the process. A health facility has to request condoms’’, Nakhumicha stated during a press conference.