Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri has warned Kenyan consumers to brace themselves for steep maize flour prices in the next few weeks as a shortage of the grain persists due to delay by the Cabinet to approve importation.
A two-kilogramme packet of the flour could rise from the current Sh120 to Sh150.
“Prices of a two-kilogrammes packet of maize flour is currently retailing at Sh120 but this might increase to more than Sh150 in the next one month if right measures are not taken,” he warned.
Mr Kiunjuri added that the discussion was still at Cabinet level, making it difficult for millers and traders to import the commodity.
“We understand there is a big shortage of more than 19 million bags that need to be imported but we are yet to pass the motion to authorise the importation,” said Mr Kiunjuri.
“More than 12 million bags will be imported once the approval is made for human consumption while six million bags to cushion dairy farmers.”
The Agriculture Secretary further said that importation before the Cabinet approval would be illegal. Kiunjuri’s remarks comes just weeks after Tanzania said it was in a position to supply more than one million bags of the grain to Kenya, but the two neighbouring countries are yet to agree on the details.
