Nairobi City residents eating untested food, reveals MCA

Do you eat in restaurants or buy meat from butcheries and other eateries in the city? You have a reason to be worried.

Nairobi County Assembly Health committee Manoah Mboku has revealed that food in Nairobi has not been inspected at all since February this year.

This, according to him, is due to lack of funds to enable the city's health office to buy reagents used to test food.

He revealed that business people have been paying the county government for the certificates but their food never gets tested.

"Since February this year, food in the county has been handled by people who are not certified because the procurement department is stalling in the provision of lab reagents that are used to test the food before issuance of a certificate of operation," he said.

He revealed the county government had entered into an agreement with Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri) allowing it to carry out the tests at the Lady Northey Medical facility.

However, he added, the contract was abolished after queries were raised about the deal, and the function of carrying out tests reverted to the county government on February 1 this year.

"Ideally, once a person pays for the food certificate he or she is given a receipt and the health officers proceed to have their food tested by the use of laboratory reagents that check on the hygiene and quality of food. If the food passes the test, then they are awarded with the certificate but this has not been happening," Mboku said.

Mboku also revealed that there is rampant harassment of food handlers who do not have the certificates, despite paying for the same. The certificates, issued after every six months, go for Sh1,000.

County Health Executive Benard Muia confirmed the contract between the county and Kemri had been terminated but said the procurement of the equipment was underway.

Supply chain Director Solomon Obiero said: "We've procured those items and we are waiting for them to be delivered today."