Five Tuskys Uganda stores cleared after rotten-meat closure
Shoppers at the Tuskys Chap Chap branch in Nairobi. The family-owned retailer has opened six stores around Kampala. PHOTO|FILE
What you need to know:
Tuskys, Kenya’s second largest retailer, made its entry in Uganda in 2010 by buying out two supermarkets – Half Price and Good Price.
Tuskys’ Bwaise branch was closed on Tuesday last week after an impromptu visit by the authority, which came across rotten chicken and beef as well as expired goods on the supermarket’s shelves.
Following the scandal, the authority launched an inspection of all supermarkets in Kampala to make sure they met health standards.
Five Tuskys Supermarket stores in Uganda have been cleared by the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) following a health inspection that was triggered by the discovery of rotten meat on sale in one of its outlets.
Tuskys’ Bwaise branch was closed on Tuesday last week after an impromptu visit by the authority, which came across rotten chicken and beef as well as expired goods on the supermarket’s shelves.
Peter Kauju, the KCCA spokesperson, said in an interview Tuesday the other five Tuskys stores have been cleared after a week-long inspection.
“We discovered rotten meat being sold in the Bwaise store and that is why we closed it,” said Mr Kauju in a telephone interview with the Business Daily.
“Our team carried out an inspection in all the Tuskys stores and we cleared them so they are still open.”
The closed store, however, has to comply with KCCA’s health standards before being cleared to re-open. The store was still closed at the time of going to press yesterday, but an employee at one of the other outlets told the Business Daily that it will “most likely be re-opened tomorrow (Wednesday).”
Tuskys, Kenya’s second largest retailer, made its entry in Uganda in 2010 by buying out two supermarkets – Half Price and Good Price – which were subsidiaries of G.K.O. Medicines Limited, a pharmaceutical company.
To date, the family-owned retailer has opened six stores located in Bugolobi, Kitintale, Makerere, Nakulabye, Ntinda and Bwaise, all towns in and around the capital city.
Bwaise, where the affected store is based, is a suburb approximately 12 kilometres from Kampala city.
Tuskys ran into problems with the city’s health inspectors after they discovered food unfit for consumption being sold in the store.
Daily Monitor, a Nation Media Group publication in Uganda, quoted KCCA as saying that Tuskys was also using toxic chemicals (sodium benzoate) to preserve the fresh meat, posing a health hazard to unsuspecting customers.
The authority also found chicken carcasses that were rotten or showing signs of rotting.
High-traffic locations
“Meat carcasses found in the storage room did not have any proof of inspection or certification as being fit for human consumption,” said Robinson Nabaasa, KCCA’s health operations officer.
“The solid waste management was found wanting as most of the condemned and unwanted meat was found stored in the cold room together with fresh meat meant for human consumption.”
Following the scandal, the authority launched an inspection of all supermarkets in Kampala to make sure they met health standards.
“With these shocking revelations, very soon we (KCCA) are launching massive inspections of all supermarkets around Kampala,” said Robert Kalumba, KCCA communications and media supervisor.
“I appeal to the public to help us improve and protect our lives by reporting cases of retail shops and supermarkets with poor hygiene.”
Tuskys is one of the three Kenyan retailers which have expanded into Uganda in the past couple of years with Nakumatt and Uchumi Supermarkets also operating eight and six stores respectively.
The retailers are fighting for a larger number of outlets in high-traffic locations in major cities in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and other eastern Africa markets.
It is only Naivas, among the big four, that has not yet crossed into the neighbouring countries.
