Lodwar – 17 July 2024 (Public Communication and Media Relations)

Unscrupulous traders have been warned to stop cheating consumers by selling commodities below recommended weights.

Speaking in Lodwar town, where he led a team of senior officers from the Departments of Trade, Revenue, Public Health, and Enforcement Unit on surprise spot checks of business premises, County Executive Committee Member of Trade, Enterprise Development & Cooperatives David Erukudi cautioned retail and wholesale traders to stop selling under-weight pre-packed goods to unsuspecting consumers.

“We will take stern action, including withdrawing trade licenses from business premises involved in such unfair trade practices,” he warned.

Mr. Erukudi highlighted cereal stores, supermarkets, butcheries, groceries, and gas cylinder shops as some of the service points where consumers are sold goods in quantities less than the required standards.

He noted that there are rampant cases of fuel stations in Lodwar and Kakuma Municipalities where owners tamper with the measuring cans’ seals, defrauding unsuspecting motorists at the pump.

The CECM encouraged the public to report business people involved in unfair trade practices for appropriate action to be taken in line with the law.

He announced plans by the County Legal Metrology team to conduct regular countywide surveillance/compliance inspection visits to business outlets suspected of selling goods in contravention of the Weights & Measures Act (Cap 513) and Trade Descriptions Act (Cap 503).

Yesterday, officials from the Department of Trade intercepted and detained four trucks in Kanamkemer carrying 745 bags of maize and beans found to be below recommended weights.