Residents demand answers as cheap unga yet to reach shops

Residents in some counties have said they are yet to enjoy the subsidised maize flour prices recently announced by the Government.

A spot check by The Standard in Bomet County found the subsidised maize flour was yet to hit the shelves in many shops, with flour still retailing as high as Sh200 per 2kg packet.

The move has angered residents who expected to benefit from the subsidy that has seen a 2kg packet of maize meal sell at Sh90.

A shopkeeper in Chepalungu said operators in rural areas were disadvantaged despite being the main suppliers.

“We serve a large number of people unlike supermarkets and our customers are disadvantaged because we are forced to set new prices,” she said.

The outcry has caught the ear of Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto, who has voiced his concern over the limited supply of the subsidised flour.

The Chama Cha Mashinani (CCM) party leader said families in rural areas were starving because subsidised maize flour had been confined to urban areas.

“It is sad that while President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy Willian Ruto boast of eating meat at State House, ordinary Kenyans are facing starvation,” said Mr Ruto in Chepalungu yesterday.

Some of the outlets in Wote town, Makueni County, have run out of flour four days in a row.

Duncan Mwilu, a sole proprietor in Wote town, said they were forced to pay Sh400,000 but were yet to get the unga.