Maize flour will now retail for Sh100 starting today following the government’s decision to subsidize the price.
According to an internal communication letter signed by Agriculture Principal Secretary Francis Owino, the Ministry of Agriculture will subsidize the price of maize flour produced and sold by millers for four weeks.
A two-kg packet of maize flour now costs Sh100 rather than Sh230.
“The recommended retail price of flour should not exceed Sh100 for a 2kg packet, Sh250 for a 5kg packet and Sh490 for a 10kg packet.”
The Ministry will also send personnel to miller’s facilities and depots to verify confirmation of maize flour sales in the market, according to the paper.
Food and basic consumer goods costs have risen in recent months, with some basic commodities reaching previously unheard-of highs.
The most affected products include maize and wheat flour, sugar, cooking oil, tissue paper, milk, groceries, and bread.
The sharp increase in fuel prices in the country has had a ripple adverse effect on the economy leading to a rise in the cost of living and the cost of doing business on an already overburdened citizenry grappling with the effects of the pandemic.
Food inflation rose 8.89 per cent in January 2022 despite the decline in the overall rate of inflation, according to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) monthly Consumer Price Index.
A review at retail prices for essential household food items reveals that high costs have impacted Kenyans, the majority of whom are poor, and that more Kenyans are at risk of falling further into poverty.