The Trans Nzoia county government announced plans to institute a ban on bars of soap found in all public areas within the county.
Bars of soap are a common sight at sinks in many restaurants and other establishments, but health officials in the county maintained that they pose a serious public health risk.
Enforcement officials are to be deployed to ensure compliance with the directive, with those found with soap facing stiff penalties and fines.
Past scientific research established that bar soaps in public places were often contaminated with bacteria.
Those bacteria are microbes capable of causing eye infections, skin infections, bladder infections and urinary tract infections.
They can also endanger people with weak immune systems, or those recovering from surgery or serious burns.
Many owners of various establishments switched to using liquid soap from dispensers but, according to scientists, this also poses its own risks.
Bulk soap dispensers end up getting contaminated in various ways, with few establishments complying with public health guidelines.
The bacteria that remains on the inside of the dispenser is quite resistant to bleach, and even a tiny amount, especially in the nozzle, is enough to recontaminate the liquid soap
County government officials in Trans Nzoia maintained that the ban would go a long way in promoting proper sanitation and hygiene.
