Make it clear how retailers will handle huge drop in price of maize

Ugali lovers can now dig in and enjoy their meal as Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Willy Bett announced that the government has reduced the price of Unga from Sh160 to Sh90 per two kilogramme packet and that the cheap maize meal would be available in all shops in Kenya.

This came as a result of an agreement struck between the government and millers that gave subsidies to millers besides allowing them to import maize duty-free hence the price drop. Retailers should comply with the government’s announcement and reduce prices of these commodities instead of maintaining the high prices in the name of finishing the current stock. They should lower the prices. Catheryne Atieno, Kisumu

The government has moved speedily to reduce the price of maize flour, which had affected budgets of many households across the country. Many can now enjoy their favourite meal, ugali. At the back of many people’s minds though is that this time round, price reduction is going to be effected as announced and that the government was not simply playing politics.

On second thought, what will happen to business people who had bought their maize and flour at a higher cost? Will they be compensated for this or will they have to endure losses? Needless to say, the government ought to give clear directions so as to ensure unnecessary friction between buyers and sellers is avoided. Mercy Mueni, Nairobi

Kenyans can now smile with the decrease in flour prices but there are a lot of unanswered questions. Firstly, how come there is spontaneous drop of the item? Are the flour millers in agreement with this? For the business personnel, how are they to accept the certain drop in cost after buying their stock at higher prices?

The government should make it clear how they will handle this group so that they too (traders) do not experience much loss. Meanwhile, kudos to the government for thinking about the common man. Auko Audrey, Turkana