Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale has called on the Competition Authority of Kenya to look into maize brands that are selling their products at high prices.
Khalwale said CAK has an obligation to Kenyans to ensure they are protected from any companies or cartels that may attempt to sell products in a manner that is unfair or at prices that are extreme for ordinary Kenyans.
“The authority is charged with that responsibility to protect consumers by preventing that kind of attempt so that competition under the law of competition, the benefits are enjoyed by the consumers,” Khalwale said on Citizen TV on Thursday.
The Senator said the decisions regarding the prices of flour have been made as stated by President William Ruto earlier on and that with time the effects would be seen.
“All that we’re waiting for is just time. With time, the things then will roll out and the impact will start being felt by everybody,” he said.
He said the cost of production has played a huge role for most farmers who are unable to plant and grow and sustain items such as maize that are heavily needed in the country when there has been no market.
“If you come to Bungoma and Kakamega, areas that produce maize, farmers in the last three to five years have been moving away from Maize farming to sugarcane farming because they were not seeing the profit,” Khalwale said
“But if we manage it the way the government has started managing it, farmers will realise that you can make money from the production of maize.”
Khalwale’s sentiments come a week after President William Ruto who was speaking in Machakos promised Kenyans that the price of Unga would come down in a week.
"I know we still have the problem of the high cost of living. You know unga is not available in shops... it's in the Shamba. When you want to solve the problem of Unga, start from the Shamba," Ruto said.
He said the price of unga is expected to drop to Sh150 per 2kg packet.
However, some millers have denied reducing prices for unga even as images of some brands selling their products slightly below Sh160 emerged on social media.
A miller who talked to the Star said many brands are yet to reduce their prices.
Unga prices for most maize meal brands are still retailing between Sh190-Sh230.
"We are yet to reduce prices," the miller said.
Two brands however have dropped prices for their unga with one of the selling at Sh162, down from Sh180.
Another is now selling its Unga at Sh158.