Unga prices to drop from next week, President Ruto pledges

President William Ruto Friday promised a reduction in the price of maize flour starting next week after the arrival of imported maize.

Although he did not indicate the anticipated reduction margin in the prices, the Head of State said the move will come as a relief to the high cost of living affecting Kenyans.

“I am aware that we still have a problem with the cost of living. We agreed that we have to address the problem of maize flour. The most sustainable way of addressing the cost of maize flour is to address the cost of farm inputs. Already, I have registered 5 million farmers and offered them 6 million bags of affordable fertilisers," he said.

"They are busy at the farms so that we produce food and end the food shortage.  But as we wait for the maize at the farms, I have made plans to import maize. The imported maize will be in the country by tomorrow. Starting next week the cost of maize of flour will start coming down."

The Head of State spoke at Mavoko in Machakos County where he commissioned a Sh 2.7 billion water project.

The promise of the reduction of the cost of maize flour came at a time the opposition is vowing to resume street protests against the government over the high cost of living and electoral injustice.

Azimio leader Raila Odinga wants the government to ensure that a two-kilogramme packet of maize flour retails at Sh100. However, President Ruto has told off the opposition chief over “unrealistic demands”.

Defuse political temperatures

He poured cold water over protests which he said cannot cure the high cost of living as he hoped that the latest move by his administration on taming the cost of living would defuse political temperatures building up in the country.

Once again, President Ruto urged the opposition to take advantage of the window of dialogue to address their grievances.

At the same time, the President sought to assure Kenyans that his administration will not discriminate against regions that did not vote for him in the last general election.

“I want to assure you that we shall unite the Kenyan nation so that we forge ahead as one. There shall be no discrimination of any kind. We are done with politics. There shall be no this or that political affiliation,” he told a charged roadside rally at Mavoko region. 

Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti hosted President Ruto at the afternoon ceremony which was widely seen as a curtain raiser to the President's visit to the region on Sunday.

The head of State is expected to grace an interdenominational prayer session at Machakos Town.

“We are all brothers of one nation called Kenya. It does not matter whom you voted for in the last general election. The government of Kenya is your government and will serve you without discrimination on political grounds because the election is behind us. We should come together as citizens of Kenya and forge a united front,” President Ruto said.

He pledged to set up a Sh250 million agro-processing centre in the region.

He directed Sports Principal Secretary Jonathan Mueke to complete a stadium in Mavoko region within a year.