This archive report was first published on 11 July 2019.
Maize Shortage Hits Kenya as Government Delays Importation ¶
Kenya is staring at an acute shortage of maize, a situation that has triggered a steep rise in the price of maize flour. The price of a 2kg packet has soared from KSh 90 to KSh 120 in just two weeks, and is likely to hit KSh 150 by June if the situation is not addressed.
Agriculture CS Mwangi Kiunjuri warned on Wednesday, July 10, that importation of maize will only commence once the government approves it. The government has not issued a gazette notice to allow importation, and the plan is still under discussion.
Speaking to journalists, Kiunjuri clarified that the price of maize flour had gone up because of the maize shortage. He noted that the price is now at KSh 124 (per 2kg packet of maize flour), and it might rise to KSh 130 or KSh 150 in the next month if the situation is not addressed.
Kiunjuri had in June 2019 called on the National Treasury to fast-track approval of maize importation so as to prevent a potential crisis. He noted that the country had already run out of stocks and required to import 10 million bags between now (June 2019) and December (2019), that is white maize for human consumption.
The CS indicated that once the Treasury approves importation, local traders and millers will be expected to use the import window to bring at least 12 million bags of maize effective from July 2019 when the government's stock is projected to drop by about 4.3 million bags.
Kenya often relies on regional exporters like Uganda and Zambia to compensate for the deficit, but the prolonged drought that adversely affected Kenya's agricultural sector did not spare the said markets.
