Millers To Receive Unga Subsidy Payments From Thursday

By Jane Muia / Published July 28, 2022 | 10:48 am

KEY POINTS

On Sunday millers announced the possibility of widely available subsidized flour as the government moves to finalize the process of introducing subsidies.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

In a gazette notice dated Friday, May 20, Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani said the waiver is limited to white non-genetically modified maize, imported to Kenya on or before August 6^th, 2022.

Millers under the 100 shillings national maize flour subsidy program will start to receive their payments from today, Thursday 28^th July. According to the agriculture principal secretary Francis Owino, 13 millers from across the country have so far submitted their invoices for the maize flour supplied under the subsidy program.

The PS added that the ministry has so far set aside 4 billion shillings that will be used in paying the millers to ensure there are no delays like that witnessed in 2017 when millers were unable to get their payments on time, after supplying maize flour under the national subsidy program. This after the maize flour prices surged to 189 shillings from 70 shillings.

The 2017 payment delay has seen millers supply the most sought commodity in small amounts over fears of a similar incident that might dive them into losses. This has seen many supermarkets’ maize flour shelves run empty as residents scramble for the little amount supplied despite an assurance that supply normalcy would rebound.

The Kenya Association of Manufacturers noted that the subsidy program by the government will help millers source maize for their businesses locally and internationally.

Last week the government released 8 billion shillings to finance the four-week subsidy program. Agriculture cabinet secretary Peter Munya announced that the 2017 subsidy program payment arrears amounting to 500 million shillings were also cleared.

On Sunday millers announced the possibility of widely available subsidized flour as the government moves to finalize the process of introducing subsidies.

PS Owino also urged Kenyans not to panic, as the country has enough stock of maize in its stores. this has been driven by an increased supply of the commodity by farmers as the harvesting is underway. At the same time, the country is expecting the first consignment of maize from Outside the East African Community two months after the government introduced a waiver on the import duty of the commodity.

In a gazette notice dated Friday, May 20, Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani said the waiver is limited to white non-genetically modified maize, imported to Kenya on or before August 6^th, 2022.

According to Yattani, each consignment arriving in the country will have to comply with requirements such as having a moisture content not exceeding 13.5 percent as provided under the laws of Kenya. similarly, the aflatoxin levels shall not exceed ten parts per billion (ppb) as per the Kenyan standards.