Police arrest four for selling subsidised maize flour at Sh120

Supermarket attendants at a Tuskys supermarket in Bandari, Mombasa County, restock packets of maize flour on May 20, 2016. Four people were arrested in Malindi for selling subsidised maize flour for Sh120. FILE PHOTO | WACHIRA MWANGI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

Police in Malindi have arrested four traders found selling Sh90 subsidised maize flour for Sh120.

The arrests follow a crackdown on traders who had inflated the prices of the staple food.

Malindi police boss Matawa Muchangi said detectives disguised as customers arrested the traders in their shops at 6am on Wednesday.

“The four were arrested separately for selling Taifa maize flour for more than Sh90,” he said.

Mr Muchangi said the suspects will be charged in court with an offence under the Price Control Act of 2011.

“The crackdown on traders selling the subsidised maize flour at an exaggerated price will continue,” he added.

Consumers have been complaining to authorities that merchants are selling the subsidised flour at exaggerated prices, Mr Muchangi said.

Esther Siamin, a Malindi resident, told the Nation that she was forced to buy three packets of wheat flour in order to get a packet of maize flour from a shop.