A Nairobi County Government Official working as a Meat Inspection Officer has been arrested by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) for extorting money from a trader in what the Commission noted has been a trend in slaughterhouses.
EACC in a February 21, 2024, statement revealed that the suspect deployed as a meat inspector at the Kariobangi Slaughterhouse was arrested after demanding a Ksh15,000 bribe from a trader.
“EACC has arrested one Moses Gachanja Gachuki, a Nairobi County Official deployed as a Meat Inspector at Kariobangi Slaughterhouse who demanded a bribe of Kes. 15,000 as a condition for inspecting the complainant’s slaughtered goats,” read part of the statement.
The arrest was made after the complainant refused to give in to the extortion bid and instead reported the matter to EACC.
An investigative operation was mounted by the commission leading to the arrest of the suspect immediately after receiving the demanded amount.
The commission also recovered an additional Ksh24,000 which the suspect is alleged to have received from another trader.
According to the Ethics commission, the accused is alleged to be one of the many meat inspection officers in Nairobi County extorting money from traders.
County official unmasked
EACC further revealed that the officers extort money from traders before inspecting their slaughtered animals and end up earning millions.
They are further accused of asking meat traders not to make payment of all fees payable through the designated Government Pay Bill.
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In turn, the inspection officers ask traders to only deposit a small portion and hand over the rest of the amount in cash to them.
The commission revealed that the suspect was taken to the Kilimani Police Station upon the arrest on Tuesday, February 20.
“He was escorted to Kilimani Police Station where he was held pending today’s processing at EACC Integrity Centre Police Station,” the statement adds.
The County official will be arraigned upon completion of the remaining investigative process.
Meat Inspection
According to the Nairobi City County Animal Control and Abattoirs Management laws, meat inspectors have the mandate to brand or stamp Duties of meat with the official stamp mark of the inspector’s department.
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They are also mandated to issue certificates at the time of inspection which are to be displayed at the butchery sale point.
Also, the law states that a person shall not, other than an authorized officer, stamp, brand or mark or attach to or impress on any meat, or offal with any official with any official stamp or mark or similar marking.
“All carcasses declared fit for human consumption shall be graded and stamped by a meat inspector or veterinary officer, according to the standard prescribed by the department,” the law notes.
