Why it's still a struggle to get cheaper maize flour in Kisumu
Customers queue at a Kisumu Supermarket Monday.
Supermarkets in Kisumu are witnessing long queues as residents scramble for maize flour following a presidential directive to cut prices by half.
The situation has been compounded by a strict condition imposed by retail outlets requiring customers to purchase only one packet at a time.
This means that large families must look for the much sought-after commodity daily.
To circumvent the one-packet rule, as many as five members of the same family separately purchase flour so as to get enough for them.
Random checks in leading outlets in Kisumu showed that shoppers report as early as 6am to buy flour. Those that defy the one-packet directive are forced to drop the rest at the till.
Mr Kennedy Ochieng told the Nation that he rushed to Quickmart following a tip from a boda boda rider that the supermarket was selling a two-kilo packet of maize flour for Sh100, as directed by President Uhuru Kenyatta on Wednesday last week, only to realise he was a bit too late.
“I reached here only to find this 10kg maize flour remaining,” said Mr Ochieng, pointing at the remaining bags of maize flour. “I was hoping that with Sh200, I would take home two packets of unga, but it seems I ran out of luck,” he added.
Ms Mary Muga, who was shopping at Naivas supermarket, said that in estate shops, a two-kilo packet of unga was still retailing at Sh220, contrary to the government directive.
“I would rather buy a 10kg bag of maize flour here at Naivas than in the shops as the comparative discount is Sh475,” said Ms Muga after doing her calculations.
While some outlets had run out of maize flour, others that had it were still selling it at Sh207 for a two-kilo packet.
Retail Traders Association of Kenya (Retrack) chief executive Wambui Mbarire said last week that they needed some Sh175 million owed to them to cover the high cost they incurred to stock maize flour at higher prices before the subsidy was introduced.
Ms Mbarire said millers were still holding 750 tonnes of maize flour stock that they purchased at higher market prices and lowering their prices before they are reimbursed would be untenable.
“We have commenced engagements with the respective maize meal suppliers to recover more than Sh175 million, which is a cumulative estimate of the higher price earlier paid to them to facilitate deliveries.”
Mr John Okebe, a retailer in Kisumu, said: “We cannot reduce the price of maize flour as it would mean incurring heavy losses. The stock we have was bought before the announcement yet we have no guarantees of compensation.”
Under the subsidy plan, the government is supposed to compensate millers Sh105 for every two-kilo packet they sell to retail outlets.
