Governor Mike Sonko to Construct Food Inspections at Nairobi Entry Points

Governor Mike Sonko to Construct Food Inspections at Nairobi Entry Points

Governor Mike Sonko on Wednesday revealed that Nairobi City County will put up Food Inspections in all entry points to the City to guarantee food safety and quality.

Speaking during a luncheon by the Agricultural Society of Kenya (ASK) during this year’s Nairobi International Trade Fair, Sonko indicated that all food products coming into the Capital City will have to undergo inspection.

The food security surveillance will be designed in collaboration with Kenya Red Cross, Concern Worldwide and Oxfam and will help in detect shortage early enough for they county and state’s intervention.

“Moving forward, the Nairobi County Government will put more emphasis on food safety by establishing Food Inspection points at all entry points,” Sonko stated in an email to Kenyans.co.ke.

He further noted that Nairobi’s food comes from outside the County because agricultural production in the City is to a large extent small-scale and market oriented due to small portions of land available.

The Governor also intimated that the county is developing and piloting the Nairobi Food Market Information System which will use a multi-sectorial approach to improve food efficiency.

The County has also unveiled a dedicated Directorate of Food Systems and Sector Coordination, whose primary responsibility is to drive the agenda of food security through use of new technology.

This comes at a time when contaminated and substandard food products have been nabbed in the county and across the country.

In August, the government impounded a million bags of rice and 400 containers of cooking oil deemed unfit for human consumption shortly after an influx of mercury-contaminated sugar hit the market.

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