Kenyans have hope that the prices of maize and maize flour will continue to come down, as promised by the current President William Samoei Ruto in the State of the Nation address.
The President outlined that the agricultural interventions undertaken by his government had resulted in the form of lower maize and flour prices across the country.
A random check by Citizen TV however indicates that the prices as stated by the President may not apply across the entire country.
“Today a 2kg packet of maize flour is selling at a low of Ksh.145 and a high of Ksh.175 depending on the brand down from Ksh.250. A gorogoro of maize is selling at between Ksh.60 and Ksh.75,” President Ruto said in the Thursday afternoon address.
In parts of the country, this price reduction is visible.
“Bei ya mahindi imeshuka, kwa sasa tunanunua gunia kwa Ksh.3,400, na tukiuza moja moja kwa Ksh.150,” said Keziah Muna, a trader in Eldoret.
“Bei imeshuka chini, inabidi tuuze mahindi Ksh.100 gorogoro ndio customers wetu waweze kununua na tuweze kuuza,” another trader in Kitale lamented.
In other parts, that reduction has been minimal at best. In Kawangware, Nairobi County, Mama Kaleche prepares the day’s stock of maize for sale.
She tells Citizen TV that the price of maize has come down but minimally over the last three months. In a nearby supermarket, prices of maize flour have also come down, but the owner says that price change is conditional.
“Hakusema ukweli kwa sababu kilo moja ndio inatoka na 70, na kilo moja sio gorogoro, gorogoro ni kilo mbili na inatoka na 160, 150 na 140,” Winfred Make, a trader, stated.
Another, Alfred Dindi, added: “Kwa upande wa unga kweli amejaribu, lakini kwa gorogoro, hapo hapana, tuko na tashwishi na yeye kama hapa Kawangware hata ukitembea hakuna mahali utapata mahali gorogoro imeandikwa 70.”
“Hata ile unga ya bei ya chini quality yake sio mzuri, mtu mwenye ako na pesa hawezi nunua hiyo unga,” Charles Ndengwa noted.
The same situation prevails in Kisumu County as traders tell of the woes of trying to maintain customers with the prevailing prices of maize.
“Bei ya mahindi hatuwezi kuuza shilingi hamsini, bei ni mia mbili asiseme hata mia moja, kwa hivyo customer akikuja asiulize mahindi ni fifty bob, ukikuja tu unabeba mia mbili kwa mkono,” Adah Omolo, a trader in Kisumu, said.
Cherop Kimutai, a trader in Eldoret, said the farmers bring the maize at Ksh.120 and they are forced to retail at Ksh.150.
The traders say the last harvest may have improved the supply of maize locally but the other drivers of the cost of living are taking that gain back.
“Mahindi wenye wanatoa huko nyumbani wanaleta na bei ya juu sababu nauli wameongeza bei, wanabeba gunia na 500, wakifika huku wanatuuzia kwa bei ya juu, sisi tunauza mahindi 170,” Melvins said.
Ndegwa added: “Unga imeshuka lakini ni kidogo, na mimi kama mfanyibiashara najua itapanda tu baada ya muda mfupi, na hii ni kwa sababu ya policies ambazo zimewekwa, kama vile taxation.”
The President had attributed the decrease in prices of maize and flour to what he termed a bumper harvest of maize this season.
“We have progressively reduced the cost of fertiliser from Ksh.6,500 to Ksh.2,500, increased maize acreage under production by an extra 200,000 acres and enhanced maize production by an additional 18 million bags,” the Head of State said.
It remains to be seen how the pricing of the staple food will look in the coming months, with many hoping that the reduction will be by a lot more.
