Kilifi firm exports Covid-19 kits

A pharmaceutical firm in Kilifi County will go down in history as one of the first in Kenya and the region to manufacture and export Covid-19 kits.

Early this week, Revital Healthcare (EPZ) Ltd exported tonnes of Viral Transport Medium (VTMs), Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), swabs and reagents to Namibia, Zimbabwe, Uganda and Zambia.

The four countries are among the markets where the firm has been exporting its medical products. It also exports to the European countries and is eyeing the US market.

This week’s consignment was flagged off by Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi, who lauded the company based in Kikambala for embracing the ‘Buy Kenya, Build Kenya’ initiative championed by President Uhuru Kenyatta.

The initiative aims at promoting sale of locally produced goods and services, thereby enhancing the manufacturing sector, which is part of the President’s Big Four Agenda.

Big Four Agenda

“What is happening in this factory is among the Big Four Agenda that we were given by President Uhuru Kenyatta. We are happy that this factory chose to invest in Kilifi County,” said Governor Kingi. 

He said the decision by the company to invest in the county pointed to investor confidence.

“As a county government, our goal is to make sure investors get a conducive environment to invest and grow the regional economy. The factory here has created more jobs and 80 per cent of the workforce comprises locals,” he said.

Mr Kingi expressed optimism that, with full-time production of Covid-19 kits and PPEs at the firm, the future looks better with regard to the fight against the pandemic.

“We faced a lot of challenges when we wanted to do mass (Covid-19) testing in our counties. Getting the VTM was the biggest challenge and in our case for example, we used to get reagents at Kemri Kilifi. 

However, without swabs, our frontline officers were not able to go to the grassroots and collect samples for analysis in our labs at Kemri and Malindi,” he said.

The county boss said that with the company now doing full-time production of Covid-19 kits and equipment, the future looks better in the fight against the pandemic.

Covid-19 tubes

“Today, I have witnessed swabs manufactured here in Kilifi by this company so do reagents and all other Covid-19 kits. I have also discovered that you have the capacity to produce about 80,000 Covid-19 tubes per day. If we have to embrace the Buy Kenya, Build Kenya Initiative by President Kenyatta, then time is now, we don’t have to import PPEs from abroad,” said the Governor.

He said the company will play a big role in the fight against the pandemic.

 “We know you are here as a private investor but this is a perfect answer and your business here is going to add to the much-needed arsenals in the fight against the pandemic,” he said.

He said that that the national government has a role to play in ensuring that local firms are given the chance to thrive. 

Revital Healthcare (EPZ) Limited chairman Rajni Vora said that his company started with only two products in 2008 when it was officially launched by retired President Mwai Kibaki. 

“We started with two products, then a small industry in Jomvu and today we manufacture 33 products,” said Dr Vora.

He said that when the Covid-19 pandemic hit the country, his focus turned into manufacturing of PPE and testing kits. The firm has been certified and licensed by international medical organisations including the World Health Organization (WHO).

Dr Vora said they have also been approved to export their products to Europe and soon, his products will also be getting their way into the United States (US) market.

“We have employed 400 people in this factory and our target is to employ more than 1,000. That is one of my contributions towards creating job opportunities,” he said.

He said the company will be focused on giving women the jobs. 

"When you support one woman to earn an income, you are sure that you have reached many people because she will go back home and feed her family,’’ he said.

The chairman further said he was willing to contribute some of the kits to the devolved government as his contribution towards fighting the covid-19 pandemic in the county.

“I am ready to support the county in the fight against Covid-19 and today I am giving out 1,000 VTM tubes with swabs free of charge to the county government as my contribution,” said Dr Vora.

The governor said that the county is on the process of resuming mass testing in near future following the availability of VTMs.