Butchers have been asked to buy meat from licensed slaughterhouses to avoid selling customers unsafe meat.
Speaking on Thursday in his office, Kiambu public health officer (PHO), John Kimoku warned that he would also crack the whip on those selling food without valid licenses.
“Anyone endangering the life of other people by selling unsafe food or operating in uninspected premises will not be spared,” he said.
Kimoku made the remarks following two incidents where 2 people died and several others were admitted in critical condition in Gatundu South recently after consuming meat from an animal infected with Anthrax.
In another incident a week ago, three people were beaten up by residents and taken to Karuri police station after they were found discarding donkey carcasses in Banana, Kiambu County.
He noted that some butchers sold meat in unhygienic conditions without caring about the lives of their customers.
“It is unlawful to buy meat from unlicensed outlets. We will not let this greed for money cost us any more lives,” he said.
James Githinji, a veterinary officer in Thika town said some diseases afflicting domestic animals could also be fatal human beings
“Anthrax is infectious and could be fatal to both animals and people,” he said.
Githinji said the disease could be spread from animals to human beings in case of contact with an infected carcass.
He said that some livestock farmers are tempted to slaughter the sick animals and sell meat to unsuspecting traders who in turn sell it unknowingly to customers.
“They must buy meat from recognised abattoirs where proper inspection is done,” he stressed.
Githinji advised livestock farmers to vaccinate their animals regularly to curb animal diseases.