Nairobi News

Meat vendors in Nairobi have faulted president Uhuru Kenyatta’s remarks that newspapers are only good for wrapping meat.

They claim that Kenyatta’s statement is in bad taste as it belittles their trade, which contributes considerably to the building of the country’s economy.

“A good leader does not put his people down the way the President is doing,” charged Mutisya of corner Butchery along Dingo road near Shauri Moyo.

On Sunday, the President, while addressing a church gathering in Bomet County reiterated his long-held belief that newspapers can only be used to wrap meat.

He was asking area residents not to take whatever is carried in the newspapers too seriously.

But Kariuki who has a butchery in Kayole wondered why every time the President is upset has to use the same sentiments.

“What did people who own and operate butcheries and newspapers ever did to him?” posed Kariuki.

In Umoja Mr Mwangi who has operated his butchery for more than ten years said the President might be joking but to his citizens it’s not okay because that is their livelihood.

NO FUNNY JOKE

“While watching the news yesterday no one laughed when he said those sentiments,” said a customer who was buying meat.

But how did the butchers start using old newspapers to wrap meat?

For starters, before they used “brown papers” which they got from Pan Paper in Webuye which they claim went down due to state inefficiencies.

After a short sting using newspapers, butchers have slowly embraced the use of polythene bags.

“People started to complain that the newspapers were dirty and had ink and it was also cumbersome when unwrapping the meat, you will always find pieces of the newspaper in your food,” explained Mr Mwangi.

“That’s why we had to add polythene paper to put the meat in before wrapping it.”

When asked why all butcheries do not only use the polythene paper instead of the newspaper, he said polythene bags were too expensive to buy, and if they only use them then they have to buy a black one,  adding on to their expenses.