Cheap Ugali At Last! 2Kg Packet Now Retailing at 99 Shillings

A 2Kg packet of Jogoo and Pembe Maize flour brands is now retailing at 99 shillings at Naivas supermarket, down from 210 shillings two days ago.

A spot Check by Soko Directory shows that Kenyans have already flocked the different supermarkets to take a share of the commodity which might soon be out of stock!

Some are now buying as many as 12 packets of Unga just to ensure they don’t run out of stock before the end of the projected four-week period.

This reprieve came after a signed agreement between the Cereal Millers Association (CMA) and the Ministry of Agriculture to cushion Kenyans against the inflated cost of living, effectively lowering the cost of maize flour.

The successful agreement was arrived at following fruitful negotiations that resulted in the National Treasury setting aside funds for the subsidy program thereby ensuring that the maize flour price is capped at 100 shillings price.

President Uhuru Kenyatta has urged millers to exercise social responsibility by not hoarding maize flour to occasion a shortage that would prompt an increase in prices.

The situation, however, is relatable to some previous experiences in the calendar of Kenya’s election years.

In the run-up to March 4, 2013, General Election, the price of a 2-kg packet of maize flour shot up from 70 to 130 shillings.

In May 2017, three months before the August 2017 election, the price of unga shot up to an unprecedented high of 189 shillings.

The government has been employing short-term fixes to rescue the day. But for how long?

When short-term intervention in the markets is required, it should be strategic and with a clear exit strategy.

According to economists, such a response should be limited to managing shocks such as pest infestation and disease outbreaks. Currently, short-term interventions seem to be the only response, leading to the same challenges being repeated.

Related Content: Ugali Gradually Becomes Costly as 2KG Maize Flour Packet Hits Ksh.148