This archive report was first published on 12 January 2020.
On January 12, 2020, police officers in Nanyuki town raided an eatery at Majengo Estate, impounding about one tonne of suspicious meat and arresting the owner and a supplier.
The eatery, known for its cheap meat and as a common joint for mutura, was storing the meat in unhealthy conditions.
However, residents who frequent the eatery, known as Paradise, condemned the police action, noting that it was their only source of affordable meat.
They claimed that the operator had been in business for ages and that they had been getting their delicacies from the meat, which was sourced from Ol Pejeta Conservancy and mainly consisted of tripes sold to locals.
As low-income earners, residents like Muriithi Ndede said they could not afford to buy meat from high-end butcheries and were served locally by the eatery with pieces of meat that cost as little as 10 shillings.
“Police officers should stop harassing small businesses because this butchery has been there for decades and no health issues have ever been reported,” said Ndede.
The raid was occasioned by the supplier who was offloading the chunks of tripes from his vehicle, and police suspected it could have been game meat.
However, police sources have ascertained that the meat came from a credible source, Ol Pejeta Slaughter House, but the two will be charged for poor storage of the meat that can cause a health hazard.
