Kenyans will pay more for maize flour as several millers suspended operations due to an acute shortage of the grain to the point they cannot sustain operations for the next one month, even after the government authorised the importation of duty-free maize into the country.
Millers say what is in stock will last less than two weeks, and petitioned the government to put in place measures to cushion consumers from the high cost of flour.
“The acute shortage of maize in local and regional markets has pushed most millers to halt operations and sack workers,” said Mr Wilson Too, a miller in Eldoret.
The cost of maize flour has hit Sh230 for a two-kilogramme packet in most retail outlets in the North Rift region, with the government banking on the importation of 10 million bags of duty-free maize to lower the cost of the staple.
Some 42,464 tonnes of yellow maize from Ukraine landed in Mombasa on Sunday, but millers have warned that the imports will only translate to a minimal reduction in the cost.
According to the millers, the shipment is meant for making animal feeds and is expected to ease pressure on demand for white maize for human consumption.
“What is required is a steady supply of the maize in the local market to help sustain our operations and lower the cost of flour,” said Mr David Maina, a miller in Eldoret town.