Residents call for prosecution of traders flouting weights and measures rule

Tomato farmer Nancy Asinyen, 27, weighs her tomatoes on a scale at Natoot farm in Lodwar town in Turkana Central Sub-County. [File, Standard] Residents want Turkana county government to ensure prosecution of unscrupulous traders selling underweight commodities in Lodwar town. They have accused the devolved unit of letting traders off the hook despite exploiting consumers. Residents said suspects found in possession of underweight products in their shops are usually allowed to go scot-free. Officials from the Department of Trade, Revenue, Public Health and the county enforcement unit raided business premises and retail shops in Lodwar town and impounded dozens of underweight products sold to unsuspecting consumers. The multi-agency team detained four trucks in Kanamkemer transporting 745 bags of maize and beans found to be below recommended weight. Residents accused the Ministry of Trade of pardoning the suspects who were found ferrying underweight products. However, what caught the eye of the residents was the recent raid on some wholesalers, retail shops and petrol stations where suspects were arrested and later released under unclear circumstances. Turkana County Chief Officer (CO) for Trade Robert Loyelei said the suspects were pardoned because they were first offenders. "We carried out an impromptu raid on some business premises in Lodwar town but to our surprise, we impounded dozens of underweight goods. The officers also managed to shut down one of the petrol stations for noncompliance, but we pardoned the traders because they were first offenders," Loyelei said. Consumers had raised concern that some traders were selling underweight maize, sugar, and fuel. Some petrol and gas stations in Turkana have also been on the spot for allegedly carrying out unfair trade practices. Residents have accused the county Department of Trade officials of colluding with unscrupulous traders to exploit consumers. A resident, Arot Emekwi complained that they were being exploited by some traders in Lodwar, Lokichar, Kakuma, Lokori, Kalokol and Lokichoggio towns. "This has been a routine here, we are being sold underweight commodities while the Department of Trade was just ignoring us. We suspect some officials from the directorate of weights and measures have been colluding with the local traders to exploit consumers. The officials have done several seizures and arrests but none has been prosecuted," Amekwi said. Another resident, Johnie Moru claimed that hundreds of weighing type 1 scales across the county including in the refugee camps were defective, and an attempt by a technician to reach out to owners for repairs has been frustrated by some directors in the department. "We are suffering in the villages because of corruption within the directorate of weights and measures. For instance, when you go to a retail shop to buy a kilo of sugar or Unga, you realise it is less because the weighing scale is defective," Emoru said. The County Executive Committee Member for Trade, Enterprise Development, and Cooperatives David Erukudi cautioned retail and wholesale traders against selling under-weight pre-packed goods to unsuspecting consumers. "We will take stern action, including withdrawing trade licenses from business premises involved in such unfair trade practices," he warned. Erukudi cited cereal stores, supermarkets, butcheries, groceries, and gas cylinder shops as some of the service points that sell underweight products to consumers. He noted that there are rampant cases of fuel stations in Lodwar and Kakuma Municipalities where owners tamper with the measuring cans' seals, defrauding unsuspecting motorists at the pump. The CECM encouraged the public to report business people involved in unfair trade practices for appropriate action to be taken in line with the law. He announced plans by the County Legal Metrology team to conduct regular countywide surveillance/compliance inspection visits to business outlets suspected of selling goods in contravention of the Weights & Measures Act (Cap 513) and Trade Descriptions Act (Cap 503).

Residents call for prosecution of traders flouting weights and measures rule

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