maize |
A ship with 660,000 bags of maize set to be released to the market has docked at the port of Mombasa.
Speaking at the
flagging off a consignment of 155,000 bags of relief rice from China
using the standard gauge railway's cargo train at the port of Mombasa,
Devolution and Planning Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri said the
government is expecting another ship carrying 829,400 bags of maize to
dock at the port.
The government also
witnessed the start of the transportation of food by another SGR cargo
train on Tuesday, which had 90 containers of 45,000 bags of rice to
Nairobi, in addition to that of 50 trucks each carrying 500 bags of rice
to other parts of the country.
The CS released two
SGR trains with a capacity of 6,000 tonnes of 120,000 bags of maize
from Mombasa and one Rift Valley Railway train of maize which will be
distributed countrywide.
'GET ENOUGH'
"It will ensure the Sh3.7 million suffering due to drought get enough food supplies in the market," he said.
Mr Kiunjuri said President Uhuru Kenyatta directed him to ensure Kenyans have enough food supply.
He assured Kenyans that there will be enough maize which will be distributed countrywide.
"Since October last
year when the drought started biting, the government put up measures to
address the situation," Mr Kiunjuri said.
He cautioned the
Opposition led by Orange Democratic Movement presidential candidate
Raila Odinga against politicising the food situation.
'ADEQUATE' SUPPLIES
"They are panicking
because they know we are receiving adequate food supplies to last the
country until the next harvest. We will also intensify food distribution
in the country both for free and subsidized maize flour," Mr Kiunjuri
said.
The Cabinet
Secretary also met a joint cooperation committee from the State
departments involved in importation, clearance, transportation and
distribution of grains in the country.
Transport Permanent
Secretary Prof Paul Mwangi said the committee comprises of Kenya Ports
Authority, Kenya Railways Cooperation, Kenya Revenue Authority, National
Cereals and Produce Board, Kenya Bureau of Standards, hotels,
government clearance agents, National Police and millers among other
stakeholders.
"They are at KPA to
ensure there is smooth importation, quick clearance and immediate
distribution of maize and other grains," Prof Mwangi said.
TASK FORCE
In Nyandarua, a
county task force was told of how millers and suppliers have imposed
unfriendly terms since the introduction of the cheap flour.
Jamaa supermarkets
proprietor Elijah Thuku Karanja confirmed that some traders bought and
repackaged the maize flour to sell at higher prices.
In all outlets
visited by a Justus Magangi-lead task force, traders confessed that they
sell the flour at Sh100, against the government directive of Sh90 for a
2-kg packet and Sh47 for a 1kg packet.
"Suppliers have
imposed unfavourable conditions. They demand that we must purchase the
flour together with other items. They have also imposed a limit where I
can only purchase 400 bales to supply my three supermarkets in one and
half weeks" Mr Karanja said.
Other brands of
flour have disappeared at outlets visited in Mirangini and Ol Kalou,
which the traders termed as a well-calculated move to cause artificial
shortage.
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