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State introduces GOK branded unga, 2kg pack to retail at Sh90
The government has stepped in to subsidize maize flour amid sharp criticism on the legalities of importing maize from Mexico.
GOK-branded 2kg packs will go for Sh90 and 1kg packs for about half the price.
Agriculture CS Willy Bett on Tuesday told journalists that the government resolved to source and sell maize to millers at an average cost of Sh2,300 per 90kg bag.
“As a result a 2kg packet of maize flour will retail at Sh90. This is will be effected from tomorrow (Wednesday),” he said, noting rapid measures were being taken to end the shortage.
“This is just a temporary intervention until the product stabilises and stocks normalise. [It will last until the rain harvest after the long rains].”
President Uhuru Kenyatta is expected to make a major announcement this week on the maize crisis, which he said is not the result of an artificial shortage.
Uhuru said his government is committed to ensuring life is affordable for all Kenyans and that he will explain how the government plans to solve the problem and lay out long-term measures.
Last month, Treasury CS Henry Rotich said the price of Unga would drop to between Sh115 and Sh125 per 2kg packet.
Rotich said the government would buy a million bags of maize from the National Cereals and Produce Board.
These were to be sourced at a cost of Sh3,000 a bag to stabilise prices which have skyrocketed since January.
Just last week the government took a step and imported 29,900 tonnes of white maize from Mexico which was shipped through South Africa.
Transport Principal Secretary Paul Mwangi said SA imported maize from Mexico last year when they faced an acute shortage.
The excess maize was stored in Durban and sold to Kenya by Inter Africa Grains PTY of Johannesburg, said Mwangi.
Source:http://www.the-star.co.ke/