Residents claim shortages of condoms

Caroline Asingila was all smiles after receiving a packet of male and a handful of female condoms.

"As a woman, I would have wished to get more female condoms. Unfortunately, they are very few. But I have taken male ones. I will give them to my sons," said Ms Asingila, a resident of Katangadrum village in Samburu East.

She was among those who had gathered in Archers Post Town to receive free condoms distributed by Good Life Trust, a non-governmental organisation.

Lately, the town on the Isiolo-Moyala Road, is busy at night. Truck drivers and NGO workers often make stop-overs or spend nights in the town on their way to and from Marsabit and Moyale.

Those who spoke to The Standard claimed the area had been facing a shortage of condoms for a long time and that the problem got worse during the festive season.

They said the same were also very expensive. Normally, they said, a packet would cost Sh100. But the price had gone up to between Sh150 and Sh250 since the festive season began.

"We are unable to access protection. We risk getting unwanted pregnancies or contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted infections,” said a woman who sought anonymity.

Some residents said they used the condoms for family planning.

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“I was once told of how condoms help in family planning. But the major problem is there are no condoms here. Even worse is the fact that many people fear collecting or buying condoms publicly because of the stigma associated with using them. Those using condoms are branded as promiscuous,” said Alice Sepina from Laresoro village. She is a mother of five.

"That is why when there are condoms, many people prefer buying them secretly or collecting during such events," she added.

World Health Organisation (WHO) says condoms, when properly used, are safe and highly effective in preventing unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV.

“Although condoms are part of most national HIV, STI and reproductive health programmes, they have not been consistently distributed or promoted proactively enough,” the WHO has said.

Helgah Musyoka, Key Populations Programs Manager at National Aids and STI Control Programme (Nascop), however said there were enough condoms in stores.

Ms Musyoka said apart from Archers Post, she was yet to hear of any other place experiencing shortage of condoms, and if any, it could be due to distribution challenges.

She said condoms in their stores had never been exhausted and blamed the reported shortage on the failure of the county government to distribute them.

“We import 180 million male and two million female condoms in a year. But we’re struggling with distribution because people or counties are not requesting on time,” she said.

Ms Musyoka said stigma over use of condoms was still high. "The people need to be educated. The stigma is forcing people to reject condoms yet they need them.”

Christopher Omeke, health officer at Archers Post Catholic Health Centre, said there were enough condoms at the facility but people feared picking them.

“The uptake is very low due to stigma, as people do not want to be seen carrying condoms,” he said.

He said Archers Post and its environs had a high number of people living with HIV. “According to records at our facility, 80 per cent of people in this area are HIV positive,” he said.

Pastor Julius Lelesit of East Africa Pentecostal Church at Archers Post said the growth of the town had come with its challenges, including promiscuity.

"There is a lot of promiscuity here and the situation has been compounded by tens of travellers and truck driver who often lodge here,” the cleric said.