Top Kenyan Businesses: Nearly five months have passed since Kenya confirmed her first case of the coronavirus disease dubbed Covid-19. The first case of the viral scourge was confirmed by the National Influenza Centre laboratory at the National Public Health Laboratories of the Ministry of Health on March 12. It involved a patient who had traveled to Kenya from the US through the United Kingdom on March 5. Since then, the number of confirmed positive cases has been rising steadily with every daily briefing by the Ministry of Health. This has effectively left certain sections of the population exposed and at increased risk of contracting the virus.
Businesses have not been left behind. They are greatly exposed, with the majority being on the verge of collapse. But there are a few who are making billions in the face of coronavirus. According to one report that appeared in the Standard on Monday, a State agency channeled close to Sh. 2 billion to nine companies for the government’s response to the pandemic.
“One company is supplying Personal Protective Equipment and KN95 masks to a government agency worth Sh. 970 million. This translates to the company grossing more than Sh. 300 million every month in sales. The supply of PPEs and masks has proved to be the most lucrative for companies, with many selling a single PPE kit for Sh. 9,000 and one KN95 mask for Sh. 700. Between these months, the smallest supplier to government earned Sh. 25 million for the supply of 50,000 half litre bottles of hand sanitiser,” the report said.
Awori family raises Sh. 800 million to bail out jailed Grace Wakhungu
For example, says the report, Accenture Kenya Limited supplied some 12,000 PPE kits for Sh. 108 million. Abyssinia Group of Industries was contracted to supply 30,000 N95 masks with a respirator for Sh. 27 million.
“Bell Industries supplied 15,000 PPE kits as well as 5,000 infrared thermometers for a combined Sh. 185 million. The thermometers cost Sh. 10,000 each. Medilife Biologicals Ltd has supplied government agencies with KN95 masks and three ply surgical disposable masks for Sh. 230 million. Another company, Nanopay Limited, got some action on the masks game, supplying 50,000 KN95 masks for a tidy Sh. 35.5 million,” the report said.
It added that by June 4, Light Up Limited had supplied 50,000 half-litre bottles of hand sanitiser for Sh. 25 million.
“One of the biggest pieces of business during the Covid-19 pandemic was done by a company called Shop N Buy Limited for the supply of PPEs and KN95 masks. By June 4, the company had done business worth Sh. 970 million. Other companies that have made their mark in business, according to documents in our possession, are Ziwala Limited that supplied 120,000 KN95 masks for a total of Sh. 84 million and Wallabis Ventures Limited, which supplied 10,000 PPE kits for a tidy sum of Sh. 90 million,” the report said. Top Kenyan Businesses.