Nairobians eat ‘very dirty’ meat

By JAMES MWANGI; Thursday, July 24th 2014

Slaughter house in Dagoretti

Most of the meat that end up on the tables of Nairobians may not have been inspected, at least according to a recent report.

The report on the condition of 11 privately-owned abattoirs shows the meat is handled in most unhygienic conditions. The report by the County Assembly's Committee on Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources singled out Kiamaiko abattoir and Burma market as the most lamentable.

"Majority of meat consumed by Nairobi residents is not inspected, raising doubts whether it meets required health standards.

The animals and meat are usually transported from outside Nairobi and are rarely inspected given the already overstretched veterinary department," reported Benson Amutavi, the committee chairperson.

He further said that the workers were medically unfit to handle meat. The report released in early July shows that game meat is sold to unsuspecting customers in the city

On Kiamaiko, the team found out that the carcasses are washed on unhygienic floors. Some of the carcasses are even suspected to have been slaughtered elsewhere while already dead. The report revealed that there were no vets in the slaughterhouses.

It further showed that children were allowed to collect blood and pieces of meat from the execrable floors.

The 17-member committee has recommended an overhaul of Burma Market, relocation of the slaughterhouses from densely populated areas and a ban on meat transportation by boda bodas.On Burma, the report shows a lack of storage facilities. "Burma has no running water, and solid waste is not collected," Amuravi said. He said that while Burma has four veterinary officers, there is no proof that meat sold there is inspected.