You can choose a friend but you cannot choose your neighbour. President Uhuru Kenyatta echoed these words while in his private visit to Tanzania and all Kenyans can now see the meaning.
President John Pombe Magufuli of Tanzania has just proved that he has a heart of Gold by volunteering to salvage the country from the looming maize shortage.
Just yesterday, CS Mwangi Kiunjuri warned of the expected inflation of a packet of maize flour.
A two-kilogramme packet of the flour could rise from the current Sh120 to Sh150 which is just too much for the normal mwananchi who earns a dollar a day to afford.
“Prices of a two-kilogrammes packet of maize flour is currently retailing at Sh120 but this might increase to more than Sh150 in the next one month if right measures are not taken,” he warned.
Kiunjuri attributed the scarcity to delay by the Cabinet to approve importation.
Mr Kiunjuri said the discussion was still at Cabinet level, making it difficult for millers and traders to import the commodity.
But Tanzania pledged its willingness to help the country go past this scarcity bearing in mind that Ugali is the staple food in Kenya.
Tanzania was on record stating its ready to offer more than one million bags of the grain to Kenya according to Business Daily. However the two neighbouring countries are yet to agree on the details that will forge the life-saving deal.
More so, the delay by the Cabinet has made it difficult for the Tanzania-Kenya Maize deal to mature.
“We understand there is a big shortage of more than 19 million bags that need to be imported but we are yet to pass the motion to authorize the importation,” claimed Kiunjuri.
The Agricultural sector especially the maize sector has been up in storms recently. The National Cereals and Produce Board(NCPB) has been a hotbed of corruption and fraud.
President Uhuru Kenyatta harsh directive which was expected to revive the almost dying sector hit the rocks.
The country has been struggling to find the solution to the plight of even maize farmers but nothing is really working. Agriculture especially maize farming is losing its value, it is perhaps not a backbone of Kenya’s economy.