The Nairobi county government does not conduct health tests for food handlers despite collecting the requisite fees, the manufacturer's lobby has said.
Kenya Association of Manufactures Nairobi regional coordinator Robert Juma said the situation posed a major risk to the health of residents.
“The certificates of good health are not there but after every six months, the public officers demand that one complies. And if you don’t comply, one is arrested,” Juma said.
The details emerged on Thursday during a meeting between the assembly finance, budget and appropriation committee and officials from the association.
In the Nairobi City County Finance Bill 2019, the executive has proposed a new fee of Sh1000 of medical examination booklet.
The booklet is meant to be produced every time the public health officers visit the business for inspection.
Juma said by introducing the new fee the county would be transferring their problems to the food practitioner and at a cost.
KAM’s head of membership development Tobias Alando suggested that the proposed fee should be scrapped off.
He explained that the new charges might lead to non-compliance by the food handlers and their employers which will then add more problems to the sector.
The association recommended that the public health department should digitise its systems for proper tracking of food handlers, testing and issuance.
“Introducing new charges will only burden the food handlers and their employers without necessarily solving the real problems,” Alando said.
The county government has also recommended the licensing of more laboratories so that the over-reliance on the few approved ones can be reduced.
“The county government in its effort to collect revenue shouldn’t be blind to the plight of millions of city residents who are employees in the private sector,’ Alando said.
KAM proposed that the county should not increase slaughter services and health inspection fee for animals and retain the charges from 2015.
The Bill proposes fees for slaughter services be Sh500 for cattle, Sh200 for sheep and goats, Sh200 for pigs, Sh50 for poultry.
The association wants the fees to be retained at Sh200 for cattle, Sh70 for sheep and goats, Sh300 for pigs and Sh30 for poultry.
The association argued that most slaughter houses are likely to pass the costs to the consumers which will directly affect the cost of living.
The committee chairman Robert Mbatia said they would look into their proposals and the matter will be addressed before the final levies in the Bill are made.
“Our target is to increase revenue collection. But we will ensure that the taxpayers are not further oppressed by the levies,” he said.
(edited by O. Owino)
