EASTERN PROVINCE NGOMA — A swoop conducted by a team of district leaders and health officials yesterday raised over Frw500,000 in fines, and left a number of restaurants closed due to poor sanitation. Tip top café-resto, Bar Progress and Francoise Restaurant, were the first to be closed down because they did not have toilets. The exercise followed warning letters circulated to all restaurant owners- as far back as 2006- in which they were urged to construct and maintain modern, clean toilets. The proprietors were also requested to take their staff for medical examination every three months for a TB check-up. Each restaurant was also required to have a modern kitchen, dustbin, clean employees, and signposts indicating their activities. The team led by the district mayor, Francois Niyotwagira, fined EER restaurant Frw66,500 while Frw117,500 was levied against Casa nostra student hostel whose toilets were found to be unhygienic. The hostel accommodates about 100 students of Universite D’ Agriculture, de Technologie Et d’Education de Kibungo (UNATEK), commonly known as University of Kibungo. The hostel canteen was also closed down after the team found that their kitchen was built next to a leaking sewage pipe yet they were washing utensils nearby. Also fined Frw108,000 for poor hygiene was Umbrella Restaurant, believed to be the most up to-date restaurant in the district. During the inspection, it emerged that this restaurant uses the same fridge to keep meat meant for dogs, and for public consumption. They were given three days within which to sort out this anomaly, or face permanent closure. Others fined were Centre St Joseph’s, (Frw104,500), Garden of Rest House, Frw103,500 and Sunset Frw71,000. All the closed restaurants lacked the required minimum standards including toilets, while those fined had unhygienic or dilapidated toilets. Mayor Niyotwagira told The New Times shortly after the inspection, that the operation was meant to foster hygiene in eat houses to prevent customers from contracting diseases. “We warned them in 2006 and we wanted to see whether they done what we had requested them. What we have observed is that instead of improving on hygiene, they are declining. But we shall not hesitate to close down all premises which do not meet the minimum hygienic standards,” he said. “What we are fighting for is the hygiene of the citizens and this exercise will continue to all restaurants including,” Niyotwagira warned. Ends
