Kikuyu Sub-County Deputy Public Health Officer, Alice Kinuthia has given food vendors and hawkers a two week ultimatum to obtain business licences.
Speaking in her office on Wednesday, the health officer said most of the upcoming food outlets in the town are operated by locals who do not meet the sanitary regulations and a number of food kiosks and butcheries are operating in the town without licences.
Kinuthia asserted that it is illegal to operate food vending outlets including butcheries without a licence adding that those people doing so will soon face the law.
“It’s against written law for an individual to manufacture, package or sell any food products without having obtained a licence and without the premise meeting sanitation standards,” she said.
She also pointed out that a full inspection should be carried out by health officers in butcheries operating in town to ensure they meet the set hygienic standards and also to ensure that legitimate meat is being sold to the public.
Kinuthia said the increasing number of unhygienic food vendors in town could be as a result of the recently displaced market traders adding that a crackdown against such persons will be launched soon.