New rules out for smokie vending

Enjoying ‘smokie pasua’, a popular snack in Kenya, is no longer going to be as easy as applying tomato ketchup and eating. 

The government has joined the table to rein in rogue dealers in and protect your health.

To be served, you will have to control your appetite and wear a mask, guidelines by the government dictate.

In the new rules released yesterday, suppliers of the delicacy must establish and maintain a register of vendors and their locations.

This works on the assumption that smokie and sausage vendors are supplied centrally. The suppliers will now be required to have their contacts.

Customers should not be surprised when the vendor picks up a sausage of choice using tongs and dissects the meat roll without touching it.

This new skillset, which is a must-have, is in accordance with safety protocols set by the Health ministry.

The new norm has done away with the habit of eating as many smokies as possible at a go.

You will now get your order and eat the smokies elsewhere.

“Vendors should ensure no consumption is done in their premises (sales should only be on take-away basis). They should also ensure they sell only to customers wearing face masks,” the guidelines read.

Crowding of customers under an umbrella protecting the tantalising smokies from direct sunlight will no longer be tolerated.

This follows the enforcement of the recommended physical and social distance, which means a minimum of 1.5 metres between two people.

The vendors must wear face masks, gloves, headgear and white coats.

With towns already full with these traders, it will be a sight to behold –  the white uniform dotting the plain-coloured roads.