Posted on October, 1, 2018 at 10:34 am
By NICHOLAS WAMALWA
The government’s announcement to reduce the price of maize flour this season is a plot to exploit farmers, Cherangany MP Joshua Kuttuny has said.
On Saturday, Joshua Kuttuny said the government’s plan to buy maize at sh.1, 600 per 90 kilo bag of maize is a move that will negatively affect farmers.
“I have the information about what the ministry of agriculture through NCPB is planning; it wants to buy maize at sh.1600 per 90 kilo bag of maize.
The CS Mwangi Kiunjuri should not forget that the cost of production is more than 2000 per bag of maize” said Kuttuny.
Agriculture CS Mwangi Kiunjuri on Thursday directed millers to reduce the price of a 2kg packet of maize flour to Sh75.
Kiunjuri said any trader selling the flour at more than Sh75 will be arrested for exploiting consumers.
Early this month, millers had indicated they would increase the price of the 2kg packet of unga by Sh4 due the increase on fuel tax.
Kuttuny said the government has no interest of maize farmers at heart and that is why it wants to buy maize from farmers at a throw away price.
Kuttuny also wondered why the government wants to exert heavy taxation to the citizens in order to meet its four agendas when some of them like good housing can be postponed.
“Let us reason, yes the government wants to construct good houses but this may end up only helping urban dwellers because it has not stated how the housing agenda will benefit people from rural constituencies “said Kuttuny.
The four pillars are manufacturing, universal healthcare, affordable housing, and food security.
The government has allocated Sh44.6 billion for universal health coverage while Sh6.5 billion will go towards the provision of affordable and decent housing for all Kenyans.
Source: The Star