Butcheries are among the traders targeted in a crackdown exercise by the Nairobi City County Government.
In a notice on Wednesday, January 27, the county will undertake an annual verification and inspection of weighing and measuring instruments by traders.
The exercise which will be conducted in all 11 sub-counties is meant to nab unscrupulous traders who have tampered with their weighing machines.
The inspection is carried out to ensure traders especially butchers, supermarket owners as well as gas stations and outlets have adjusted their measuring scales as stipulated by the law on measures.
The exercise will commence on February 15, at the Burma market with an expected completion date of June 4, at Chief's Office Komarock Bee Centre.
"An inspector of weights and measures shall visit the stamping stations on indicated dates.
"The business community and all traders within a radius of 20 KM of a particular stamping station are required under the provisions of the Weights and Measures Act to physically submit all their weighing and measuring instruments for sizing and stamping at the said station," Acting County Secretary Dr. Jarius Musumba noted.
Traders are further advised that in the event their weighing machine is permanently fixed, or is heavy in weight (500kg and above) the inspection can be carried out at the premise.
"Those in possession of such instruments may comply with this notice by writing to the inspector (County Director of Weight and Measures) advising the type, capacity and location of such instruments at least three days before the date on which the verification and inspection is to be undertaken," he advised.
Over the years, a number of traders have been arrested and prosecuted for calibrating their machines to dupe their customers.
According to the Weights and Measures Act, any person guilty of an offense under this Act shall be liable to a fine not exceeding twenty thousand shillings or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or to both.
"Where any person has been convicted of an offense under this Act, the court convicting him may, in addition to any other penalty to which the convicted person may be liable, make such order as the Court thinks fit to prevent the person from continuing to deal with or in the same goods or articles in respect of which the offense was committed," the law notes.
Former Treasury CS Ukur Yatani Arrested Breaking News
