Kikuyu food vendors on Thursday asked the Public Health office to give them more time to obtain permits saying the process is costly.
This follows notice on Wednesday by the Deputy Public Health officer, Alice Kinuthia, giving them two weeks to obtain the permits. Different vendors have complained that the period given for them to comply is short due to the costs involved.
Stella Waithera a small-scale food vendor in Kikuyu says she is willing to acquire the necessary documents to run her business but insists that she doesn't have the money required to obtain it.
"I need more time to get the money especially since we just reopened. After the cholera scare we closed business for some time. I don’t have the money right now," she said.
Waithera said she resumed businesses three weeks ago.
Bernard Njuguna a small-scale milk vendor said that the public health officers should consider such small-scale food vendors and limit the requirements that will be needed to obtain permits
He revealed that small food vendors earn what they need to sustain their families and the office should therefore consider such and give them more time.
"We don’t really get much money from these businesses. A period of at least six months would be sufficient," he pleaded.
However Eugene Operre, a hotel owner in the area says that every person engaging in business should calculate all the start-up costs and them before embarking on it.
"These food vendors have really affected my business unfairly since they don’t have permits or even premises but are allowed to continue doing so," he lamented.
Health concerns have been raised over the issue.