photo source: officialpearlmagazineblog.com
Taita-Taveta County government has allocated Sh600,000 in the next financial year for condom purchase in case the region suffers a shortage.
In 2015/16 budget, the executive proposed that the money should be set aside to ensure that the region doesn’t suffer should the demand for condoms in the region exceed the supply. Normally, the supply of condoms is done by the national government through National Aids and STIs Control Program (NASCOP).
Speaking to KNA on Wednesday, Governor John Mruttu said that the money was allocated as contingency vote should the national government fail to meet the demand for condoms in the region. He said that the region has never suffered from lack of condoms but warned that his government was not taking any chances with the lives of the people.
“It’s a prudent move to allocate money for purchase of condoms in case there should be a shortage. The national government has always supplied the products but we also need to have our measures in place just in case anything happens,” he said.
The allocation comes at a time when the region is experiencing a massive influx of people from other regions owing to the multi-million shillings infrastructure projects currently under way. It is estimated that thousands of young people are working in the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) project while hundreds others are working for the China City and Construction Company, a contractor who is building a major road from Taveta to Mwatate.
As a result, hundreds of commercial sex workers have invaded the region hoping to cash in on the windfall from the project.