By Simon Ingari
Simoningari7@gmail.com
Down the busy Ring Road in Nairobi suburb, the city council workers are busy cleaning the road as usual. They then dumb all sorts of wastes they have collected at different dumping sites located along the particular road.
A disturbing horde of hawkers bud out once the city council workers put their feet up.
The most of all appalling hawker menaces are the boiled-maize sellers who convert one of the dumping sites to a kitchen.
The compost site is comfortably used to prepare boiled maize locally known as mahindi chemsha, oblivious of the health hazards exposed to them.
Mrs. Mary Atieno is one of the mahindi chemsha hawkers, she says that they know how to dodge the city askaris and they are rarely caught, but sometimes they part with only Ksh.50 when caught.
“I place here my boiled maize strategically to catch people from work in the Nairobi CBD”, she says
She also states that she even sells to office guys who are crawling in cars on the typical Nairobi traffic jam.
Her boiled maize goes for only Ksh.20 so as to attract more customers besides being sweet and tender to her customers, she utters.
A number of the customers are noticeably seen murmuring upon noticing some of the boiling maize on compost site but they quickly walk away chewing their maize to avoid losing their appetite.
Mr. John Macharia and Mr. Julius Ogutu, boda boda operators who operate at Serena stage in Nairobi say they have a preference of eating from the hawkers because the food is less expensive compared to those served in regular restaurants in the town. They also have to be on the lookout for prospective customers.
Despite the duos worry of the unhealthy conditions and environment where the foods are being prepared and sold, they don’t recall falling sick.
Studies have exposed that there are scores food borne diseases which can be contracted from such insanitary milieu.
Mrs. Josephine Mackenzie, a Food Inspector come Public Health Officer with Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi, says that people who patronize street foods need to be conscious of the dangers of eating or buying foods in an unhygienic location.
Such foods could be contaminated by microorganisms which are present in the water, air or even on the hands of those who sell them, she cautions.
“These food vendors don’t adhere to necessary rules of hygiene during the preparation of their foods and even places where they sell foods are very insanitary”, Mrs. Mackenzie warns.
Mrs. Mackenzie also says that these food vendors don’t have basic requirements for food preparation such as running water for washing hands, medical certificate, don’t know the right food temperatures, and nearby clean toilets.
The places are popularly characterized by flies and dust in the air which settle on these foods and make them unhygienic for human health. She says.
Diseases like typhoid, cholera, gastrointestinal infection and E-coli infection which can cause diarrhea could be contracted through these foods, she explains.
“These foods also could cause food poisoning”, Mackenzie reinstates advising that people should eat at home or carry along their packed food, if not buy well sealed food stuffs like drinks such as sodas.
Mr. Nicholus Kirimi, a doctor with St. Bridgets Health Centre in Nairobi, foods exposed along the roadside could cause problems such as dysentery and amoebiasis.
Thus he discourages patronizing of street food. He says that unclean water used by these vendors is a major carrier of these bacteria causing the diseases.
Mrs. Rachael Wanja , a secretary, says she has never fallen ill from eating street food since she makes sure that the surroundings where she wants to buy food from is clean and sound at all the times.
“I always carry fruits to my home and prepare them by myself after buying them from specific sellers, I am even more cautious when my children buy street food because I know they aren’t more keen”, she says.
“I am aware of the diseases associated with the unclean cooking environment and the food vendor has to be presentable, if the place is not clean I will prefer eating from somewhere else with better clean condition”, Mr. Wambugu Ngatiah, a lecturer says.
Even with the consequences of attendant health risks, street foods remain well-liked, not just in Kenya but also in many other budding countries.
The foods frequently found on the roadsides include boiled and roasted maize; cut fruits, mutura – a local concoction of roasted meat, fried cassava, bhajia, chips, cut sugar cane, roasted sweet potatoes, fruit juices among others.
In the Laws Of Kenya, hawking of food substances is prohibited under Food, Drugs And Chemical Substances Act, Chapter 254.
The Assistant Director City Inspectorate, Mr. James Muindi says that hawking of food stuffs is one of the problems they the city if facing and they are try as much as they can to stop it.
Mr. Muindi notes, “The high rate of unemployment and poverty leave these hawkers with no any other option but venture into hawking even after arrests”.
Simoningari7@gmail.com
 |
| Mary Atieno boiling maize |
A disturbing horde of hawkers bud out once the city council workers put their feet up.
The most of all appalling hawker menaces are the boiled-maize sellers who convert one of the dumping sites to a kitchen.
The compost site is comfortably used to prepare boiled maize locally known as mahindi chemsha, oblivious of the health hazards exposed to them.
Mrs. Mary Atieno is one of the mahindi chemsha hawkers, she says that they know how to dodge the city askaris and they are rarely caught, but sometimes they part with only Ksh.50 when caught.
“I place here my boiled maize strategically to catch people from work in the Nairobi CBD”, she says
She also states that she even sells to office guys who are crawling in cars on the typical Nairobi traffic jam.
 |
| Sample of boiling maize boiled by Mrs. Otieno |
Her boiled maize goes for only Ksh.20 so as to attract more customers besides being sweet and tender to her customers, she utters.
A number of the customers are noticeably seen murmuring upon noticing some of the boiling maize on compost site but they quickly walk away chewing their maize to avoid losing their appetite.
Mr. John Macharia and Mr. Julius Ogutu, boda boda operators who operate at Serena stage in Nairobi say they have a preference of eating from the hawkers because the food is less expensive compared to those served in regular restaurants in the town. They also have to be on the lookout for prospective customers.
Despite the duos worry of the unhealthy conditions and environment where the foods are being prepared and sold, they don’t recall falling sick.
Studies have exposed that there are scores food borne diseases which can be contracted from such insanitary milieu.
Mrs. Josephine Mackenzie, a Food Inspector come Public Health Officer with Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi, says that people who patronize street foods need to be conscious of the dangers of eating or buying foods in an unhygienic location.
Such foods could be contaminated by microorganisms which are present in the water, air or even on the hands of those who sell them, she cautions.
“These food vendors don’t adhere to necessary rules of hygiene during the preparation of their foods and even places where they sell foods are very insanitary”, Mrs. Mackenzie warns.
Mrs. Mackenzie also says that these food vendors don’t have basic requirements for food preparation such as running water for washing hands, medical certificate, don’t know the right food temperatures, and nearby clean toilets.
The places are popularly characterized by flies and dust in the air which settle on these foods and make them unhygienic for human health. She says.
Diseases like typhoid, cholera, gastrointestinal infection and E-coli infection which can cause diarrhea could be contracted through these foods, she explains.
 |
| A sugar cane hawker selling his cut canes |
Mr. Nicholus Kirimi, a doctor with St. Bridgets Health Centre in Nairobi, foods exposed along the roadside could cause problems such as dysentery and amoebiasis.
Thus he discourages patronizing of street food. He says that unclean water used by these vendors is a major carrier of these bacteria causing the diseases.
Mrs. Rachael Wanja , a secretary, says she has never fallen ill from eating street food since she makes sure that the surroundings where she wants to buy food from is clean and sound at all the times.
“I always carry fruits to my home and prepare them by myself after buying them from specific sellers, I am even more cautious when my children buy street food because I know they aren’t more keen”, she says.
“I am aware of the diseases associated with the unclean cooking environment and the food vendor has to be presentable, if the place is not clean I will prefer eating from somewhere else with better clean condition”, Mr. Wambugu Ngatiah, a lecturer says.
Even with the consequences of attendant health risks, street foods remain well-liked, not just in Kenya but also in many other budding countries.
The foods frequently found on the roadsides include boiled and roasted maize; cut fruits, mutura – a local concoction of roasted meat, fried cassava, bhajia, chips, cut sugar cane, roasted sweet potatoes, fruit juices among others.
In the Laws Of Kenya, hawking of food substances is prohibited under Food, Drugs And Chemical Substances Act, Chapter 254.
The Assistant Director City Inspectorate, Mr. James Muindi says that hawking of food stuffs is one of the problems they the city if facing and they are try as much as they can to stop it.
Mr. Muindi notes, “The high rate of unemployment and poverty leave these hawkers with no any other option but venture into hawking even after arrests”.
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