The ongoing dispute between Naivas Supermarket and the Nairobi City County Assembly Health Committee is growing more intense, following the committee’s fiery response to corruption allegations made against them by the popular retail chain.
On the evening of Wednesday, May 14, the Health Committee released a strongly worded statement condemning Naivas for attempting to dismiss the committee’s earlier findings.
This came after the retailer issued a public statement denying any wrongdoing during a recent health inspection conducted at their Moi Avenue branch.
Naivas had earlier in the day insisted that none of their products were expired, countering claims made by the Health Committee.
However, the committee accused the supermarket of employing food handlers who had not undergone the necessary medical screenings, which are a requirement under Kenya’s public health regulations.
In their response, the Health Committee firmly stood by their inspection findings and defended their actions, citing the Constitution of Kenya (2010), specifically Article 185, and Section 9 of the County Governments Act (2012), which empower Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) to oversee and enforce compliance with public health and safety standards, especially those related to food safety.
“The statement by Naivas is acknowledged, but we must make it clear that MCAs have a constitutional duty to protect the health and safety of Nairobi residents,” the committee declared.
“The inspection conducted at the Moi Avenue branch was fully within our mandate as outlined in Article 185 of the Constitution and Section 9 of the County Governments Act.”
The committee further stated that their inspection uncovered serious violations of the Food, Drugs and Chemical Substances Act (Cap 254) as well as the Public Health Act (Cap 242).
They dismissed Naivas’ claims of bribery as false and misleading, suggesting they were an attempt to shift public focus away from the real issues raised during the inspection.
In response to the bribery accusations, the committee challenged Naivas to formally report any evidence of corruption to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).
They warned that failure to do so would leave the committee with no choice but to initiate legal proceedings for defamation and interference with their oversight responsibilities.
“If Naivas fails to report these bribery claims to the EACC, the Nairobi City County Assembly will be forced to seek legal redress for defamation and obstruction of lawful oversight,” the committee warned in their statement.
This heated exchange has now turned into a major standoff between the county government and one of Kenya’s largest supermarket chains, drawing national attention.
Although there were earlier reports suggesting that some Naivas outlets in Nairobi might be ordered to close temporarily, a spot-check by Newshub.co.ke revealed that most branches were operating as usual on Wednesday afternoon, with no major disruptions.
In their statement, Naivas stood their ground, maintaining that they were fully compliant with all relevant regulations and saw no reason to shut down any of their stores.
Earlier on Wednesday, Health Committee Chairperson Maurice Ochieng reinforced the committee’s allegations during a press conference.
He displayed a can of yoghurt that he claimed was expired and had been purchased from the Naivas Moi Avenue branch, using it as an example to support the committee’s claims.
This back-and-forth has added more fuel to the fire in a case that appears far from over. As the public watches closely, the situation is likely to continue unfolding in the coming days, possibly ending up in court if no resolution is reached.
Join Gen Z New WhatsApp Channel To Stay Updated On time https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaWT5gSGufImU8R0DO30
