Kenyans scramble for flour after lorry overturns along Mombasa Road [Photos & Videos]

Kenyans along Mombasa Road scrambled for flour after a lorry ferrying the commodity overturned near Ole Sereni Hotel.

Following the accident which happened on Friday, many Kenyans rushed to the scene to take some of the flour for themselves.

Videos from the accident scene captured many individuals carrying bales of the commodity, some using their hands while others used boda bodas.

The scramble was a testament to how Kenyans are struggling to afford flour, which is currently retailing at between Sh180 and Sh210.

Kenyans scrambling for flour after lorry overturns along Mombasa Road on September 23, 2022 Kenyans scrambling for flour after lorry overturns along Mombasa Road on September 23, 2022 Pulse Live Kenya

The shortage of maize and the rising inflation drove the price of flour to an all-time high in 2022, even as the government offered a subsidy for the product.

President William Ruto said during his swearing-in that his government would bring down the cost of food items by focusing on production.

He said that the government would no longer fund what he termed as consumption subsidies, citing that they are unsustainable.

He promised that his administration would offer subsidised fertiliser so that farmers could increase their yields.

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"On fuel subsidy alone, the taxpayers have spent a total of Shh144 billion, a whopping Sh60 billion in the last four months. If the subsidy continues to the end of the financial year, it will cost the taxpayer Sh280 billion, equivalent to the entire national government development budget," the president noted.

“Additionally, there was an attempt to subsidise unga [maize flour] in the run-up to the election, a programme that gobbled up Sh7 billion in one month, with no impact," he added.

On September 22, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua flagged off a consignment of 426,000 bags of DAP fertilizer to be distributed to farmers across Kenya.

“To address high food prices we must begin with the farmer. Providing affordable farm inputs through a subsidy programme is a strategic intervention that will put the country on the right path,” Gachagua said.

Interestingly, outgoing Agriculture CS Peter Munya skipped the event.