Underweight goods: How traders in Lodwar and Kakuma towns are robbing consumers
A pump attendant fuels a vehicle.
What you need to know:
- Bodaboda operators claim they have been defrauded by some stations adjusting their pumps to cheat their customers for maximum profits.
- Officials from the Department of Trade on Friday intercepted and detained four trucks in Kanamkemer trading center within Lodwar town carrying 745 bags of maize and beans found below recommended weights.
Residents of Lodwar and Kakuma towns in Turkana County are concerned about traders defrauding them of essential commodities like fuel, bread, sugar, and cereals that have dominated their local markets.
County Trade, Enterprise Development and Cooperatives official, David Erukudi, has cautioned retail and wholesale traders to stop selling under-weight pre-packed goods to unsuspecting consumers.
"Despite multiple inspections done by relevant authorities in the county, underweight goods continue to cripple trade and encroach on consumer rights. We will take stern action, including withdrawing trade licenses from business premises involved in such unfair trade practices,” Mr Erukudi said.
He mentioned 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.
Bodaboda operators claim they have been defrauded by some stations adjusting their pumps to cheat their customers for maximum profits.
"This is daylight robbery. I noticed something was wrong when my Sh200 petrol couldn't complete a 10-kilometer trip.
"Fuel stations are tampering with fuel pumps dispensing less fuel for profits. We suspect they are dispensing about 800ml of fuel instead of a liter defrauding unsuspecting motorists," claimed bodaboda rider, Joseph Egelan.
He claimed in retail shops, wholesalers, and local supermarkets, packaging of sugar, cooking oil, cereal products, and powdered milk remains the same, but the contents are shrinking.
He is now contemplating buying his weighing scale because of the increasing number of underweight prepackaged goods that he continues to sell.
"Officials from the Department of Trade on Friday intercepted and detained four trucks in Kanamkemer trading center within Lodwar town carrying 745 bags of maize and beans found below recommended weights. This shows our commitment towards consumer protection," the county official said.
Mr Ekurudi said packaging, selling, and having or holding for sale underweight prepackaged goods is an offense that has been overlooked by unscrupulous traders stressing the need for collective efforts from the public to tackle it.
He announced plans by the County Legal Metrology team to conduct regular countywide surveillance, and 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).
The county department of trade has acquired specialized equipment to ensure accurate measurements in businesses, in line with required standards with the Weights & Measures teams in major towns working tirelessly to inspect trade instruments, protect consumers, and promote fair trade practices.
