Nairobi County’s Environment Chief Officer, Geoffrey Mosiria, has announced a stringent crackdown on food establishments failing to adhere to proper hygiene standards.
In a statement shared on his X account on Tuesday, January 7, 2024, Mosiria underscored the critical role of hygiene in public food premises and vowed to enforce compliance across the city.
“A crackdown will follow on all food premises to ensure strict adherence to all public health guidelines,” he declared.
The announcement followed an impromptu inspection of a hotel located along Mfangano Lane in Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD). According to Mosiria, the inspection, conducted alongside public health officers, revealed appalling conditions.
The premises were found in a state of severe neglect, with filthy surroundings, while employees possessed counterfeit medical examination certificates. Additionally, the establishment had not complied with any public health directives.
“Today, together with public health officers, we visited a hotel around Mfangano Lane CBD after last night’s encounter with a foul smell emanating from the premises. We found the hotel in a filthy state, with fake medical examination certificates for workers, and no adherence to public health directives,” Mosiria revealed.
Following the inspection, Mosiria issued a closure notice to the hotel’s management and disclosed plans to take legal action against the owner.
“We issued a closure notice to the management, and we shall also arraign the owner in court,” he added.
Mosiria is well-known for his campaigns to enhance hygiene standards in Nairobi. His initiatives have targeted unsanitary street food vendors and neglected residential areas.
In September 2024, during a media briefing, Mosiria called on tenants to report landlords and agents who fail to uphold proper hygiene standards in their buildings. He expressed frustration at tenants who withheld information, hindering the county’s sanitation enforcement efforts.
“Tenants who are supposed to help us keep their environment conducive have decided to hide their agents and caretakers. We go to the tenants and ask them where the agent or landlord is, but they refuse to cooperate,” he said.
In addition to addressing hygiene issues, Mosiria has also focused on noise pollution. His efforts have included cracking down on excessively loud churches and entertainment venues, such as nightclubs, to create a more livable urban environment.
The Chief Officer’s recent crackdown underscores his commitment to improving public health and sanitation in Nairobi. Residents are encouraged to report unhygienic establishments to facilitate the enforcement of these measures.
