Kenyans won’t be able to purchase affordable ugali any longer because the government has discontinued the maize flour subsidy scheme.
According to the Daily Nation, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary (CS) Peter Munya observed that the initiative was unsustainable due to insufficient funding from the National Treasury.
After reaching an agreement with millers, the government reduced the price of maize flour for four weeks in July.
A 2kg packet of unga now costs KSh 100, down from almost KSh 200 thanks to the subsidy.
Additionally, the government stopped charging import taxes on maize on July 1.
Munya disclosed that the goal of the approach was to lower the price of maize flour three months prior to the following crop.
“I have suspended all levies on imports for Maize and Animal feed products effective on July 1, 2022. This initiative is aimed at lowering the cost of maize flour and animal feed in the country for the next 90 days before the next harvest,” said Munya.
The “valuable” item ran out of stock in supermarkets on August 1 weeks after the government mandated a price cut.
Outside of large supermarkets and stores, Kenyans were spotted camped out in pursuit of the subsidised unga.
