Kenya is set to import maize from Zambia in a fresh move to cushion the country from the high cost of the staple commodity which has hit a record high.
Speaking on Thursday at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport during the groundbreaking ceremony of the hot water treatment facility at the Horticulture and crops Directorate, agriculture cabinet peter Munya noted that the government is working on various measures that will see the price of maize flour come down, adding that the first consignment is expected to land in the country in two-week time.
“We are working with countries that have enough maize to be able to bring cheaper maize into the Kenyan market to cushion Kenyans from the high cost of maize flour,” the CS said.
Kenya has been relying on Uganda for maize imports but currently, Uganda is exporting to South Sudan where its stock is fetching better prices.
The move comes at a time when the price of maize flour has hit a record high in history. Kenyans have been paying between 200 to 250 shillings for a 2-kilogram packet of maize flour across the major shopping outlets and retail shops.
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At the same time, the price of a bag of maize has gone up to 7,000 shillings. For instance, residents of Kakamega County are paying between 6300 and 6800 shillings for a 90-kilogram bag of maize. This is the highest in the region.
Last week, the government suspended all levies imposed on imported maize for three months, a move that saw the prices of maize flour come down by 2 shillings.
Maize shortage in the country as a result of continuous drought has been named as one of the key drivers of the price hike. Other contributors to the price hike that the CS mentioned include the locust outbreak and the disruptions brought by the covid 19 pandemic.
“We have been having severe droughts in the region. For the last three seasons, Kenya has not been able to reach the annual harvest of between 35-40 million bags of maize that we do, “Munya said.
Millers have warned that the prices will continue to surge further if a solution is not sought soon.