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The Kenya Environmental Health and Public Health Practitioners’ Union (KEHPHPU) has accused Nairobi City County of unlawfully deploying unqualified personnel to manage the Food Hygiene and Medical Certification Unit at City Hall.
KEHPHPU warns that the move has compromised food safety and exposed Nairobi residents to serious public health risks.
In a statement issued on Monday, the union condemned what it termed as systemic mismanagement of the critical public health docket, saying the irregular deployment had weakened food hygiene enforcement and opened loopholes for fake food handlers’ certificates.
The union faulted the appointment of Ann Sakwa, a Medical Laboratory Technologist, to head the Medical Certification Unit, arguing that the position is legally reserved for qualified and licensed Public Health Officers under the Public Health Act (Cap 242) and the Food, Drugs and Chemical Substances Act (Cap 254).
“By law, training, and professional practice, this portfolio must be strictly managed by a qualified and licensed Public Health Officer,” said KEHPHPU Secretary General Brown Ashira.
“Medical Laboratory Technologists are valued professionals, but their legal mandate is strictly restricted to diagnostic laboratory work.”
The union warned that the alleged professional mismatch had already triggered serious consequences within Nairobi County, including the proliferation of counterfeit food handlers’ certificates.
“They lack the legal authority, statutory powers, and specialized training required to enforce food and water quality surveillance, conduct medical certification assessments, manage food safety compliance, and execute food premises inspections,” Ashira said.
According to KEHPHPU, the irregularities risk exposing residents to foodborne diseases such as cholera due to weak enforcement of food hygiene standards and inadequate inspection of food premises.
“As a public health union, we will not sit back and watch Nairobians consume contaminated food and water while awaiting cholera outbreaks and other preventable foodborne illnesses,” the statement read.
Food handlers’ certificates are mandatory documents issued after medical examinations to certify that individuals handling food in restaurants, hotels, markets and other establishments are free from infectious diseases. Public Health Officers are also responsible for inspecting food premises and ensuring compliance with hygiene regulations.
The dispute comes at a time when concerns over food safety in urban centres have continued to grow, particularly following recurring outbreaks of food and waterborne diseases in informal settlements and crowded estates.
The union also accused the current management of undermining county oversight institutions and tarnishing the reputation of Nairobi County through alleged acts of insubordination.
KEHPHPU demanded the immediate removal of Ms Sakwa from the unit and her redeployment to a laboratory setting consistent with her professional qualifications.
The union further called for the reinstatement of a qualified Public Health Officer to head the department, strict verification of all food handlers’ certificates, and separation of Food Hygiene Licenses from Single Business Permits.
“Failure to address these regulatory breaches within seven days will force the union to institute industrial and legal action to protect the public health profession and safeguard the lives of Nairobi residents and Kenyans at large,” Olaly warned
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The Kenya Environmental Health and
Public Health Practitioners’ Union
(KEHPHPU) has accused Nairobi City County of unlawfully deploying unqualified personnel to manage the Food Hygiene and Medical Certification Unit at City Hall.
KEHPHPU warns that the move has compromised food safety and exposed Nairobi residents to serious public health risks.
In a statement issued on Monday, the union condemned what it termed as systemic mismanagement of the critical public health docket, saying the irregular deployment had weakened food hygiene enforcement and opened loopholes for fake food handlers’ certificates.
The union faulted the appointment of Ann Sakwa, a Medical Laboratory Technologist, to head the Medical Certification Unit, arguing that the position is legally reserved for qualified and licensed Public Health Officers under the Public Health Act (Cap 242) and the Food, Drugs and Chemical Substances Act (Cap 254).
“By law, training, and professional practice, this portfolio must be strictly managed by a qualified and licensed Public Health Officer,” said KEHPHPU Secretary General Brown Ashira.
“Medical Laboratory Technologists are valued professionals, but their legal mandate is strictly restricted to diagnostic laboratory work.”
The union warned that the alleged professional mismatch had already triggered serious consequences within Nairobi County, including the proliferation of counterfeit food handlers’ certificates.
“They lack the legal authority, statutory powers, and specialized training required to enforce food and water quality surveillance, conduct medical certification assessments, manage food safety compliance, and execute food premises inspections,” Ashira said.
According to KEHPHPU, the irregularities risk exposing residents to foodborne diseases such as cholera due to weak enforcement of food hygiene standards and inadequate inspection of food premises.
“As a public health union, we will not sit back and watch
Nairobians consume contaminated food
and water while awaiting cholera outbreaks and other preventable foodborne illnesses,” the statement read.
Food handlers’ certificates are mandatory documents issued after medical examinations to certify that individuals handling food in restaurants, hotels, markets and other establishments are free from infectious diseases. Public Health Officers are also responsible for inspecting food premises and ensuring compliance with hygiene regulations.
The dispute comes at a time when concerns over food safety in urban centres have continued to grow, particularly following recurring outbreaks of food and waterborne diseases in informal settlements and crowded estates.
The union also accused the current management of undermining county oversight institutions and tarnishing the reputation of Nairobi County through alleged acts of insubordination.
KEHPHPU demanded the immediate removal of Ms Sakwa from the unit and her redeployment to a laboratory setting consistent with her professional qualifications.
The union further called for the reinstatement of a qualified Public Health Officer to head the department, strict verification of all food handlers’ certificates, and separation of Food Hygiene Licenses from Single Business Permits.
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“Failure to address these regulatory breaches within seven days will force the union to institute industrial and legal action to protect the public health profession and safeguard the lives of Nairobi residents and Kenyans at large,” Olaly warned
By Mike Kihaki