The ministry of agriculture is once again on the spot for failing to deliver.
Last week, the ministry, through the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) announced the release of two million bags of maize in a bid to tame the rising prices.
This for a minute brought a sigh of relief to maize millers and most of the citizens at large as the maize flour prices exorbitantly shot up, making most consider forfeiting ugali as a staple dish.
A two-kilogramme packet of flour now retails at Sh115, up from Sh80 just a fortnight ago. Maize prices have also shot up from Sh2,600 to Sh3,200 per 90-kilogramme bag in the North Rift.
However, the period of doom seems to be far from over as the government has delayed its release of the subsidized maize.
Several millers in western and central Kenya have suspended operations due to maize shortage, rendering others jobless.
At least 10 millers have sent employees on compulsory leave.
“Our processing for the last two weeks has been below capacity. We have suspended operations until we are sure of getting sufficient stock,” a miller lamented.
The hardest hit processors are in Bungoma, Busia, Kisumu, Narok, Kajiado and four other counties in central Kenya.
While the government keeps stalling, the impact of maize shortage keeps trickling down to the local consumer, and only increasing the chances for maize cartels to thrive.
However, it will not be totally surprising to eventually discover that the cartels are in bed with the government given the farmers complaints that the government has been frustrating them through exorbitant prices.
The farmers also criticised the government for not setting aside funds for the maize sub-sector in the 2019/20 financial year budget that is to be read this month.
“There is a scheme within the government to cripple agriculture by imposing heavy taxes on herbicides and denying the industry funds for research,” Kenya Farmers Association director, Kipkorir Menjo, said at the meeting that took place at the Teachers Advisory Centre.
Now while the farmer is once again on the receiving end of the maize scandal, President Uhuru Kenyatta earlier, in his own words said, “I swear before God”, that the farmer will not be the one to suffer at the expense of the rich maize cartels and an arrogant management.
The farmers could really need him to turn his words into actions at this point in time.