Tuesday, April 18, 2023 –So far, only two maize flour brands are selling at less than sh 170 despite the clamor by the State to reduce their prices by last week.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi while being put to task on live Tv session on Tuesday April 18 night by Waihiga Mwaura, said their government was still committed to make available the cheap unga.
“This government went ahead to even risk to lose revenue for duty free rice and maize-related products.
“Other millers in the country have to reduce their product prices by next Friday because they were all given the same importation permit,” Linturi explained.
Interestingly on spot check with major retailer around the country, unga prices still remained higher than the quoted prices by the Kenya Kwanza administration.
Statehouse Spokesperson, Hussein Mohamed, had on Monday made an official announcement on the same promising Kenyans cheap maize flour.
“Unga prices have started going down just as President @WilliamsRuto had assured Kenyans over the weekend. Prices have dropped to Ksh159 and Ksh 160, depending on the millers. When the President assumed office last year, a 2kg packet was retailing at approximately Ksh230,” he tweeted.
Cabinet Secretary Agriculture, Mithika Linturi, on his part a day later, told Citizen Tv’s Mwaura that the President made that announcement in good faith and the country should remain hopeful.
As Mwaura reminded the cabinet secretary that economist had estimated that the standard retail price for a 2KG packet should be sh 185, Linturi explained that if the subsidy is subtracted, the price should be below that.
At the moment, Kenya has more than 50 millers and only two – Ajab and Umi brands – had started selling the reduced price unga.
