Police in conjunction with public health officers in Nyeri on Monday arrested an unscrupulous meat trader with tens of kilos of uninspected meat, hidden in his residential house located at Asian quarters in Nyeri Town.
The suspect, John Ndegwa, was arrested following a raid by the police and the public health officers into his house at around 9am where he was found having stashed the meat believed to be of two cow carcasses in gunny bags inside a freezer.
The Public Health Officer, Joseph Macharia said preliminary findings indicated that the meat had not been inspected and thus unsafe for human consumption.
“Following this new development, we are urging members of public to be extremely vigilant to avoid consuming uninspected meat which could expose them to dangerous diseases such as anthrax and brucellosis,” said Macharia.
He further said the manner in which the meat was packaged and stored was unhealthy as some parts had already started rotting.
The Nyeri Sub-County Deputy Police Commander, Paul Kuria, said the suspect will assist the police crack what they believe is a growing illegal trade where unscrupulous meat dealers are slaughtering animals without following due process.
He said there have been numerous reports being made over traders who have been slaughtering animals and selling the meat to hoteliers without going through slaughter houses which was not only illegal but dangerous to the health of consumers.
“As we prepare to arraign the suspect in court, his arrest will provide us with crucial leads that will help us win the war against cattle theft in the area,” Kuria said, adding that there have been many cases of animal theft.
Sources familiar with dealing of the suspect and who sought anonymity said he had sometimes back been linked to cattle theft and almost got lynched by members of public who torched his vehicle and house.
By Samuel Waititu
