KISUMU, KENYA– The World Health Organisation (WHO) states that unsafe food contaminated with bacteria, viruses, parasites, or chemical substances causes more than 200 diseases.
WHO also shares a worrisome statistic: every year, nearly one in 10 people around the world fall ill after eating contaminated food, leading to over 420,000 deaths.
In Kenya, too, with stringent regulations, food safety issues like chemical pesticides in food production and processes still need to be addressed.
As Kenya joins the rest of the globe today, Friday, June 7, for World Food Safety Day, Nguvu Change leader Evans Oketch is speaking up against compromised food systems.
This year’s theme is “Food safety: Prepare for the unexpected”.
Evans’s petition calls for urgent action against Lake Victoria’s severe pollution, which is grievously impacting women’s health.
Regarding surface area, Lake Victoria is the largest lake in Africa, the largest tropical lake globally, and the second-largest freshwater lake globally, trailing only Lake Superior in North America.
Evans, a youth leader from Siaya county, told Y News that:
“Lake Victoria is the second largest freshwater lake in the world and was once a vital food source. This is where I grew up swimming and fishing; now, its condition fills me with dread. Industrial pollutants have poisoned its waters.”
Evans claimed that the fishermen are also killing the fish and playing havoc with the health of my community, especially women, who make up nearly 80% of the people whose livelihood is linked to fishing.
His petition to the office of Kisumu governor Anyang’ Nyong’o also addresses the fact that when water quality declines, it impacts the lives and livelihoods of women.
“In recent years, as the water quality has drastically declined, affecting marine life, it pressured the local community and women to find ways to make a living and feed their families. Fishermen start demanding sex in exchange for fish. And women who largely do not own boats and go fishing have no choice but to agree,” Evans said.
This practice, famously known as jobuya (sex for fish), according to Evans, became rampant, putting women at a greater risk of sexual exploitation and HIV.
His petition urges the Kisumu county government and the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) to immediately regulate and effect proper waste disposal by industries into Lake Victoria.
Evans hopes an action plan with clear timelines will help to save Lake Victoria and also protect the sexual and reproductive health of the women who depend on it for gainful work, personal agency, and dignity.
“I hope Kenyan citizens in large numbers will support my petition because every single signature will help ensure that our voices are heard loud and clear by the authorities,” Evans told Y News.
Food safety incidents will be brought to light on June 7, 2024, which is World Food Safety Day.
This year’s theme emphasises the significance of being ready for any situation involving food safety, regardless of how minor or severe it is.
Incidents with food safety occur when there is a known or suspected health risk connected to eating certain foods.
A food incident may occur due to natural disasters, food fraud, insufficient controls, or accidents.
Although legislators, food safety authorities, farmers, and food business owners must work hard to be prepared to handle food safety problems, consumers can also take an active part in the process.
