Sexually active men and women in three coastal counties have received 15 million condoms in the last four months. According to the National Aids and Sexually Transmitted Control Programme (Nascop), one million condoms were distributed to men who identified themselves as homosexuals.

NASCOP said the contraceptives were distributed in Mtwapa town in Kilifi county, Kwale town and Mombasa town to prostitutes, injecting drug users and other groups.

Female sex workers received an estimated 1.2 million male condoms and about 3,900 female condoms.

Injecting drug users received about 39,000 male condoms, while 11,800 were used for family planning.

The condoms were said to have been distributed by Kenya Medical Supplies Authority through the International Centre for Reproductive Health (ICRH) offices in Mombasa.

Nascop County Aids and STI Co-ordinator Zaituni Ahmed said: "Between October and January, about 220 cartons were distributed and each carton contains 72,000 condoms, meaning about 15 million pieces were distributed that quarter," said Ms Ahmed in Mombasa yesterday.