Maize flour to retail at Sh100-Uhuru
President Uhuru Kenyatta has announced a food subsidy on maize flour.
In a national address to the country at State House on Wednesday, Uhuru said a 2kg packet of maize flour will henceforth retail at Sh100 countrywide.
“This scheme of a subsidy of around Sh105 per 2kg pack of maize meal is aimed to cut the cost of life for needy people as we hunt for a sustainable solution to the repeated rising prices of unga every election,” Uhuru remarked.
He said the subsidy followed a contract struck between the government and maize millers registered with the Agricultural food administration after days of consultations.
Maize flour prices had maintained above Sh200 until Wednesday even after the government offered a subsidy Monday for the product to retail at Sh100.
The millers claimed this was because there was no clear structure on how the Government would pay them to sustain the Sh100 per two-kilo packet.
Uhuru said the accord reached with the milers to cut the cost of the staple meal including suspension of the railway construction charge on all imported maize.
He said the import declaration fee (IDF) on all imported maize has also been halted resulting in the decrease of a 2kg packet of maize flour from the current Sh205 to Sh100.
The President commended the millers for understanding and realizing the necessity to accept the accord and guarantee Kenyans live within their means.
“Thank you everybody for that,” Uhuru said.
The head of state urged leaders against politicizing the rising expense of living without proposing answers tantamount to ridiculing the anguish of the vulnerable, the same people they seek to vote for them.
“My appeal to the political class is to embrace civic duty.
Uhuru invited the corporate class, lawmakers, and state players to join initiatives targeted at relieving the situation.
“I invite all of them to join the community not of mourners or grumblers even when you work in government but I ask you all to join the community of solution providers for this is where the future of our country lies,” Uhuru stated.
“The collaboration between the corporate citizen and the political class needs to be to the ultimate benefit of the people in all of our republic. And if it breads suffering like the high price of maize every election, then it’s the voter to put an end to it,” Uhuru remarked.
