The Public Health department in Igembe South Sub County will engage other relevant government agencies to establish the source of cheap meat being roasted and hawked in Kachiongo suburb of Maua town to Miraa traders and revelers.
Speaking to the media in his office in Maua town yesterday the Igembe South Sub-county Director of Public Health Mr. M’Itha Baimirongo said his office is not aware of where the street dealers in the roast meat source their products.
“The roasted meat that is hawked in the streets of the town at night may not be inspected which pauses a threat to the consumers. They may be consuming the cheap meat without knowing that it has not been certified as fit for human consumption. My department is not aware of where the meat originates from”, said Baimirongo.
Baimirongo said the flourishing fast food trade takes place at night as the Miraa dealers who transport the “green gold’ to North Eastern Kenya and Somalia gather and load the perishable commodity on pick-ups that transport miraa.
He said he will engage police and intelligence arms of the government to establish the source of the meat and have the culprits prosecuted to protect the members of the public from possible illnesses associated with poor hygiene.
“Our concern is not only the source of the meat but also the conditions under which the meat is roasted since the hawkers come with it ready to eat. There are fears that the roast meat could be game meat that is roasted in the bushes”, said Baimirongo.
The lucrative Miraa business makes Kachiongo suburb of Maua a 24-hour economy with shops operating throughout the night and unscrupulous hawkers take advantage of the thriving business to sell the suspicious meat to the consumers.
By Kamanja Maeria
