Business Daily (Nairobi)
Jim Onyango
28 November 2007
Butcheries in Nairobi have been named as the worst offenders of the weights and measures laws by selling underweight cuts of meat to consumers.
But it has also emerged that the government is unable to inspect all butcheries for lack of adequate weights and measures inspectors.
The country has 54 weights and measures inspectors, eight of them based in Nairobi. More than 200 inspectors are needed to effectively monitor all butcheries and retail outlets. A recent survey released by Consumer Insight indicated that the country has over 40,000 grocers or butcheries outlets.
The Ministry of Trade and Industry said yesterday that some unscrupulous butchers in Nairobi tampered with the weighing machines and balance scales so as to sell less meat to consumers for more money.
Test purchase by department of weights and measures personnel has showed that a variety of meat bought from several butcheries showed that customers got less meat than what they paid for.
The ministry has confiscated equipment such as weights and weighing scales which have been tampered with to give false readings.
"They are stealing from consumers. This is a serious offence and consumers must ensure they root out such traders" said James Kiarie, the director of the weights and measures department who said it was an offence to make false representation of weight of meat orders.
Kiarie said 20 butcher shops have been reported to the ministry. The ministry said it did not have the exact data on the number of consumers who have been cheated out of their money.
"Most of the complaints have come from Nairobi, that means the cases are common in the city" said Kiarie.
"Consumers must watch out for traders who unlawfully sell underweight meat" said Kiarie.
"We want to assure Kenyans that our department will work hard to ensure Kenyans got value for their money when they go shopping"
The ministry officials warned butchers against selling underweight meat to consumers and that the ministry will start a swoop in Nairobi to arrest offenders.
Butchers face a Sh20,000 fine or a five year jail term if found guilty of tampering with the weighing machines.
The ministry of trade has started an aggressive recruitment and training of weights and measures inspectors to help in the inspection of retail outlets to ensure that customers bought the right weight of goods at the right price.
The ministry said that all weighing and measurement machines used by traders must be submitted to the department of weights and measures so that they are inspected and certified for use.
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