KMA declares war on food vendors, restaurants without health certificate

The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) has threatened to go after food vendors without health certificate in the metropolis.

Per the regulations of the Local Assembly Act, every food vendor in the country is required by law to be screened and issued a health certificate before operating.

The move by the Local Assembly is part of measures aimed at preventing the spread of communicable diseases.

The Convener for KMA Sanitation Department, Muslim Salifu in an interview with Pure FM’s Osei Kwadwo, said inasmuch as there is “free entry” in the food vending system, one ought to have a health certificate confirming he or she is free from diseases.

Muslim Salifu has advised the public who patronize food from local vendors, restaurants within the metropolis to always demand from them, a health certificate before buying from them.

Meanwhile, an investigation conducted by Osei Kwadwo has revealed that most food vendors in the Ashanti Regional capital Kumasi are flouting the law with impunity, mostly due to lack of enforcement by the various local assemblies.

The investigation uncovered that only few food vendors in the metropolis are selling food with health certificate in the five sub metros: Nhyiaeso, Bantama, Subin, Manhyia North and South.

In an interview with some food vendors, they claimed they are unaware about the law of the local assembly which requires food vendors to be screened and issued health certificate.

“This is news to some of us because the assembly has failed to educate us on the matter. We don’t have health certificate but we believe we have no communicable diseases which can affect our customers,” a food vendor said, a submission other vendors associated with.

Meanwhile, a cross section of the public, who hitherto did not also know about the law, appealed to the assembly to enforce the law and deal with food vendors without health certificate to help reduce the spread of communicable diseases.