This archive report was first published on 9 July 2019.
Kenya is facing a severe shortage of grains, leading to a significant increase in flour prices to about Sh120 a bag.
Despite this, the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) is struggling to sell tonnes of cheap maize meant to cushion consumers from high flour prices.
The government has announced a three-month window for duty-free import of 12.5 million bags of maize to meet the shortfall.
However, private millers are reluctant to buy the maize being sold to them by the government at a subsidised price of Sh2,300 per 90kg.
They claim the grain is of low quality due to damage by molds and discolouration.
Millers have demanded for forensic audit and testing to determine whether the maize was contaminated due to inappropriate handling by the board.
According to Titus Maiyo, NCPB Corporate Affairs Manager, the board is holding 760,000 out of the 2 million bags it released to millers last month.
He disclosed that millers have paid for 1.24 million bags out of which 982,000 bags have been collected by various firms.
Strategic Food Reserve (SFR) board chairman Dr Noah Wekesa said 1.7 million bags was allocated to millers for human consumption and 300,000 bags for manufacture of animal feed.
He said the board was waiting for the Cabinet to approve the loss of Sh5 million it incurred for the 2 million bags released at low cost last month.
Dr Wekesa added that the board plans to release more grains to millers at affordable rates once the Cabinet sanctions the loss incurred.
Millers in western Kenya have claimed that maize obtained from most NCPB stores in the region has high Rotten Discoloured Damaged (RDD) ratio and unfit for milling.
They named Nakuru, Kisumu, Eldoret, Moi’s Bridge and Bungoma NCPB silos that have been hit by poor maize quality.
The Ministry of Agriculture has revealed that 124,500 bags of maize at the NCPB stores is contaminated and has to be destroyed through incineration.
