Agriculture Cabinet Secretary (CS) Mithika Linturi on Tuesday, April 18, explained why Kenyans were yet to receive cheap maize flour.
While appearing on Citizen TV, Linturi revealed that only one millers had lowered its unga prices.
This was contrary to State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohammed’s assertion on Monday, April 17, that maize flour would retail between Ksh159 and Ksh160 for a 2-kilogram packet.
“Only one brand has been able to lower its process and I think it is because their consignment started coming early and that is why they have moved fast to lower their prices.
“I will seek to know why other millers have not been able to do so, maybe they are having problems raising the money required to import the maize or raising certain instruments for foreign trading,” he explained why Kenyans were yet to access cheap maize flour.
On December 2022, the government through the Ministry of Agriculture announced that an import duty waiver would be granted to millers and importers to import 900,000 metric tons of white grain and 600,000 metric tons of rice from February 2023 to August 2023.
Linturi on Tuesday, April 18, warned the millers of misusing the waiver granted by his ministry.
“I have called all of the maize millers who are beneficiaries for a meeting on Friday, April 21.
“We have to make sure whatever revenue the government is going to lose by way of import duty must be reflected in the reduction of the price of that commodity in the market,” he warned the millers.
On Sunday, April 16, MV Guardian docked at the Port of Mombasa carrying 48,000 tons of white maize.
While Linturi promised more consignment of cheap maize would be arriving, a spot check by Kenyans.co.ke found out that no ship carrying maize was expected in the country before Tuesday, March 25.
President William Ruto on Friday, April 14, announced to the public that within a week, he would lower prices for a 2kg packet from Ksh180 to Ksh150.
“I am aware that we still have a problem with the cost of living. We agreed that we have to address the problem of maize flour.
“We have imported maize and starting next week the cost of maize of flour will start coming down,” he stated back then
