Traders along the Nairobi-Murang’a highway at the Kaharati shopping centre have been put on the spot following a video that went viral over the weekend of a motorist who was duped into buying presumably ripe and mature avocados covered in a dark coating only to realise they were not close to attaining full maturity at the time of being picked.

Speaking to the traders on the busy highway, Monday, Murang’a South Deputy County Commissioner Gitonga Murungi warned that the traders risked having the market, which is a source of income for hundreds, closed if they continued endangering the lives of the consumers with their products.

“We recognise the work that you do so as to earn a livelihood and educate your children, but we want you to do business that is safe and dignified without endangering the lives of motorists and consumers,” he said.

“The avocados may be covered with a poisonous substance or even dirt to make them appear ripe and mature, which not only endangers the health of motorists who purchase from you but also shows the levels of dishonesty you employ in your business and ends up jeopardising your trade,” he added.

The DCC noted that his administration would not hesitate to have the market, which is on the roadside, closed if disgruntled motorists and customers continued registering their complaints.

An experiment by the DCC and the sub-county security team that involved picking two avocados from several traders and washing the coating off revealed the dirty trade and dishonesty among the avocado sellers.

A seemingly dark brown (ready for ripening) avocado turned green upon wiping off the coating. Cutting the avocado also revealed that it was picked before it attained full maturity.

“Moreover, we know that some of you sell stolen farm produce, which you will try to conceal by covering it with mud or other poisonous substances and that must come to an end as we are ready to follow and establish where your produce came from,” warned the DCC.

He also urged the traders to be organised and avoid crowding the motorists’ vehicles when they stop over to purchase their wares, in respect to the free market economy and the environment we enjoy in the country.