Maize Flour Price In Raila’s Government Would Be Ksh 300

President William Ruto has urged Kenyans to excise patience as he continues with efforts to bring the cost of living down.

Speaking to journalists on Wednesday at State House, the head of state said high food prices pushed the cost of living higher. He said that the cost of living would be higher under Raila’s administration as maize flour prices would have hiked to 300 shillings.

“If the election would have gone the other way a 2-kg bag of maize flour would probably be costing 300 shillings,’’ he said.

He said his administration is working on remedies to ensure enhanced food production. This includes subsidizing fertilizer, putting more land under cultivation, removing brokers in the agricultural sector, and allowing imports from foreign countries.

“I told Kenyans that for us to deal conclusively with the high cost of living, we have to significantly improve our food production. A packet of a 2-kg bag of maize flour costs 190 shillings today compared to 230 shillings a few months ago,” he added.

The president wiped out subsidies on sifted maize flour that the former government had initiated. The subsidies would have seen the price of a 2-kg packet of maize flour retail at 100 shillings. On his part, Ruto said the subsidies were unsustainable for both consumers and the government’s fiscal operations.

He however retained the fertilizer subsidy seeking to bring down the cost of production. Subsidy on the farm input saw a 50kg bag of DAP retail at 2,800 shillings down from 6,000 shillings. Urea dropped to 2,700 shillings, CAN 1,950, NPK 3,000, MOP 2500, and Sulphate Ammonia to 2,500 shillings, from 6,500, 3,900 and 4,900, 3,800, and 3,800 shillings, respectively.

He said that from next month farmers will start receiving fertilizer for planting in the next season.

“For the season that is in demand which starts in February, we have now ordered six million sacks of fertilizer, we will probably increase it to eight or seven million according to the research we are currently doing to register farmers,” he said.

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