An assessment of knowledge, Attitudes and practices of food handlers in food kiosks in relation to food hygiene in Eldoret, Kenya

This paper is based on a study conducted in Eldoret Municipality in Uasin Gishu District, Rift Valley Province, Kenya to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices of food handlers in food kiosks in relation to food hygiene. The lax monitoring of sanitary standards in food kiosks in Eldoret Municipality had raised questions regarding the personal hygiene practices of food handlers as well as the environmental hygiene of their premises. For data collection, questionnaires for food handlers working in food kiosks and consumers of kiosk food, sanitary evaluation of premises as well as bacteriological tests of water, food contact surfaces, food, food handler’s hands and throat samples were employed. The majority of food handlers had no formal food hygiene training and did not have a high level of general food hygiene knowledge, hence behavioural practices were lagging behind. Moreover, majority of the food did not meet the sanitary standards prescribed by Kenyan legislation. Recommendations were made to improve the knowledge, attitudes and practices of food handlers and consumers, to maintain the sanitary standards in the food kiosks and to provide for the establishment of governmental policies, programmes and strategies and the sensitization of political figures.