Nairobi health committee orders immediate closure of Naivas and Carrefour supermarkets
The Nairobi City County Health Committee has ordered the immediate closure of Naivas and Carrefour supermarkets for selling expired food products.
Speaking while leading the committee during a site visit yesterday, Chair of the committee Mountain View MCA Maurice Ochieng said they uncovered alarming breaches of food safety, hygiene, and labeling standards within the two leading supermarkets.
At Carrefour, concerns were raised over the preparation of food at their Westgate Mall branch and its subsequent transportation to other outlets under questionable conditions, potentially exposing consumers to significant health risks.
This directly contravenes the county’s food safety and fortification act, which explicitly prohibits the preparation, storage, or transportation of food in unsanitary environments.
Further investigations at both Carrefour and Naivas revealed widespread forgery of mandatory medical certificates for food handlers. The supermarkets failed to produce legitimate receipts confirming payment for employees’ health tests, with scanned copies of the certificates indicating they were counterfeit.
Ochieng, the chairperson of the health committee, emphasized the gravity of their findings.
“I’m the chairman for health. Here with me I have the health committee of Nairobi, a committee of 23 members. As we undertake our oversight role today, we inspected eateries within the CBD and visited Carrefour supermarket.”
He continued, “Our findings indicate they are operating illegally, handling food without the required medical certificates, which is a clear violation of Cap 254 of the Public Health Act. We therefore demand the immediate closure of this facility until full compliance with the Public Health Act is demonstrated. Furthermore, we discovered that much of the perishable food being sold to Nairobi residents is frozen, a practice that raises serious concerns about quality and safety, even potentially being worse than food sold on the streets.”
Addressing Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja and the County Executive Committee (CEC) for Health, Susan Silantoi, Ochieng urged decisive action.
“We implore the Governor and CEC Susan Silantoi to ensure that all food within Nairobi is safe for consumption by Nairobians.”
The committee’s fact-finding mission extended to Naivas Supermarket on Moi Avenue, where equally alarming discoveries were made.
“We have identified expired products being displayed on shelves, putting Nairobians at significant risk due to compromised food safety,” Mr. Ochieng revealed. “Additionally, we found that the majority of food handlers have not undergone mandatory medical testing, which should occur twice annually. Consequently, as a committee, we have resolved to close all Naivas outlets until all food handlers are tested and certified to ensure the safety of Nairobi residents.”
Ochieng reiterated the committee’s unwavering commitment to public health.
“The paramount concern is food safety. We will not stand idly by. We urge CEC Susan Silantoi to act swiftly to guarantee the safety of food for Nairobians, as many of these establishments are stocking expired products.”
He cited specific examples, including expired Daima Yoghurt found on shelves and KCC Daylight Yoghurt lacking any discernible shelf life or manufacturing date, leaving consumers unable to determine its freshness.
“Cases of cholera in Nairobi are very high and this is a result of the contaminated food being sold by these supermarkets. We must bring this to an end,” Ochieng said.
