Deputy President William Ruto on Monday, July 18, reacted to the government's directive that lowered maize flour prices through the introduction of subsidies to millers.
The DP accused President Uhuru Kenyatta of using the cost of maize flour to campaign for Azimio candidate Raila Odinga.
Speaking during a rally in Kamukunji, the UDA presidential candidate read mischief in what he described as the government's sudden ability to subsidise the cost of flour which they blamed on the Russia- Ukrainian conflict.
He argued that if the Head of State had the interests of the people at heart, then the prices should have dropped earlier.
"When we told them that they had destroyed the food production programme in the country, they blamed it on the war in Ukraine. Why did you leave Kenyans to suffer?
"Today, the war is still ongoing yet they now claim that they want to reduce the cost of flour just because there will be an election on August 9. Kenyans are not fools!" he stated.
Ruto dismissed the scheme as ineffective, stating that it was too little and came too late. He claimed that Kenyans would vote to send both Uhuru and his handshake partner home through the ballot.
The DP added that the decree, coupled with maintaining the cost of fuel in the latest price review were distractors and would only provide a short-term solution to the low food production problem.
On July 18, the Ministry of Agriculture directed that the minimum retail price for a two-kilogramme packet of maize flour drop from Ksh230 to Ksh100 effective immediately.
Under the directive, a 1-Kilogramme packet would retail for not more than Ksh52 while the 500-gram packet would retail for a maximum of Ksh30. Notably, the reprieve would only be temporary as it would lapse after a month.
“The Ministry of Agriculture shall subsidise the price of maize flour being produced/sold by the miller for a period of four (4) weeks from the date of this contract,” the statement added.
The government blamed the price hike on the shortage of maize to disruptions in the supply chain both locally and in the region.
In June, the price of a packet of flour was reduced by only Ksh2 after consistently rising for three months despite the government waiving taxes paid by suppliers
