Three hotels have been shut down and more than 50 people arrested in Eldoret City after Uasin Gishu county officials launched a massive crackdown on eateries and hawkers flouting health and safety regulations.
The county says the continued flouting of health regulations on food handling has caused the spread of related diseases in the past few months.
County health officials carried out an extensive inspection exercise on hotels that was led by chief officer for preventive and promotive health Dr Paul Wangwe and the deputy director of Public Health Laban Kiprop.
The inspection targeted numerous food outlets to enforce hygiene standards and safeguard public health.
Wangwe said Governor Jonathan directed that the exercise be carried to ensure residents and visitors access clean, safe and healthy food.
“We are conducting regular inspections of food establishments across the county to ensure they meet required hygiene and safety standards. This is about protecting our residents—because the food they eat and the water they drink must be safe,” he said.
The arrested are workers at hotels who were found operating without proper medical documentation.
The inspections uncovered a range of violations, including the absence or expiration of food handler certificates, poor sanitation, lack of fire safety equipment and overcrowded or poorly ventilated kitchen spaces.
Wangwe said in one alarming incident, health officers discovered workers locked inside a hotel kitchen—an act regarded as a serious safety and human rights violation.
The proprietor of the hotel was immediately arrested with assistance from police and county enforcement officers.
As part of the enforcement, three hotels were issued closure notices due to what officials described as “extremely poor hygiene conditions.” While some establishments were found to be compliant, many did not meet the required standards.
“All food handlers are required to undergo medical screening every six months and must obtain certification from authorised facilities,” Wangwe said.
He said the county would now enforce the requirement more stringently.
“We will intensify the inspection in parts of the city and the county to ensure safe food in all our hotels,” Wangwe said.
Deputy director Kiprop issued a stern warning to unlicensed street food vendors, saying they pose a significant risk to public health and will face legal consequences.
“We urge the public to buy food only from licensed and approved eateries,” Kiprop said. “This is just the beginning—inspections will now be a routine operation across the county.”
The city had recorded an increase in food hawking activities and Dr Wangwe said the ongoing crackdown would be continuous to ensure the food safety standards are maintained.
BY MATHEWS NDANYI
