Children in Kenya receive toys from Diaspora Kenyans. Pic-Files

Kenyans are generous people who can be called on at anytime to do so and they help willingly without holding back anything. This was evident during the Kenyans for Kenya campaign that helped raise money for starving Kenyans in Eastern and North Eastern who were being ravaged by drought. To those who helped, it was completely unacceptable that they have food while their brothers and sisters died of starvation. However, news that the money they so generously donated went into buying food that was contaminated with the deadly aflatoxin thus endangering lives of the many that consumed it especially children was just too much to bear.

Many were outraged and demanded explanations as to the same with the Kenya Red Cross calling for the children to undergo urgent medical check ups to find out if they have been affected. The irony was that the food was meant to save lives and not to end it.  The generosity of Kenyans both locally and those in the Diaspora was thrown in their faces with many pointing to greedy business owners who saw this as a way to make money regardless of whether life was lost. They forget that the cash was raised to buy good food to give life and not help end it faster.

The shame is that leading local food processors were involved. The Uji Mix Flour provided by Proctor and Allan was recalled and tons of the product destroyed. This left many wondering how safe the food we consume is. The Kenya Bureau of Standards owes Kenyans an explanation since it is mandated to make sure that any consumable product that lands into Kenyan’s tables is safe. This only confirms the levels of laxity by the government and food manufacturers.

Many say that Kenyans are capable of anything including selling unsuspecting people cow dung. That the need to have money is so great that people are prepared to dupe and cheat people out of their money.  But when lives of people are threatened and the generosity of people abused, then something needs to be done.  Not only are the lives of those who consumed the food at stake but the credibility of food providers is also at stake, which begs the question, what more can be done? The government, on its part, can crack the whip on quack food providers. The media can name and hold accountable businesses through investigative stories and the public can ensure food is of high quality by looking out and reporting cases of bad products.