Maize crisis blamed on exporters

The maize shortage in the country has been blamed on dealers who exported the grain to neighbouring countries.

Agriculture minister Sally Kosgei said on Friday Kenya should not be having a maize shortage since there was a bumper harvest last year.

She said some dealers bought the grain and exported it to Southern Sudan and Uganda, thus creating a shortage in Kenya.

The minister was speaking in Naivasha where she attended the 25th meeting of the National Economic and Social Council.
Dr Kosgei called for the involvement of security agents in investigating the exportation of maize to the neighbouring countries, asserting that those involved should be brought to justice.

“Exportation of food when we have a surplus is not criminal but it is wrong to sell everything, leaving our reserves with nothing,” the minister said.

The same people who sold the maize to Sudan and Uganda are the ones seeking tenders to import the grain at exorbitant prices, she said, adding: “The bad weather conditions that we are experiencing now were not there last year and we had sufficient maize to feed the nation until the next harvest.”

Millers in towns such as Eldoret and Mombasa have closed their shops due to the maize shortage.

The government has, however, assured the public that a consignment of maize from Malawi and Zambia would arrive in the country in the next three days.

Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who chaired the meeting, said that measures would be put in place to ensure that cases where exportation of maize resulted in shortages did not recur.

“We will ensure that strategic food is not sold out of the country without proper authority,” said the PM, noting that the performance of the Kenyan economy was greatly affected by adverse climatic conditions and high global fuel prices.