Unga Prices To Go Down From Next Week- Ruto
This, he added, would result in the price of unga dropping as the maize will have arrived.
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President William Ruto has assured that the prices of unga across the country will go down from next week.
Speaking on Friday, April 14 during a rally in Mavoko, Machakos County, President Ruto stated that imported maize will be expected to arrive in the country before the end of the week.
This, he added, would result in the price of unga dropping as the maize will have arrived.
"I have sorted out the maize we are importing from other countries and by the end of this week, it will have got here. From next week, you will start seeing the price of unga going down because the maize will have arrived," Ruto announced.
The Head of State however assured that local farmers would not encounter losses as a result of the imported maize.
"We must balance so that the maize we are importing from other countries does not affect our farmers," he added.
President Ruto's announcement comes moments after the High Court temporarily suspended the decision by the government to contract Zambian farmers to grow maize for exclusive exportation to Kenya.
High Court Judge Mugure Thande issued the order stopping Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi from moving forward with the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Kenya and Zambia to produce maize in Zambia for export to Kenya.
The ruling was made following a petition filed by Kenya Kwanza coalition-affiliated The Farmers Party headed by Irungu Nyakera that challenged the deal.
"That after considering the principles for grant of conservatory orders at the exparte stage, I find that the orders sought in the Application are merited. Accordingly, I do grant prayer 2 of the Application," Thande ruled.
The court further directed that parties in the case be served by April 19, 2023, and the responses to the case be served by May 3, 2023. The case will be mentioned on May 16, 2023.
The Farmers Party sued both CS Linturi and Attorney General Justin Muturi, accusing Linturi in particular of unreasonable, irrational, unlawful, and gross violation of the Constitution of Kenya by engaging Zambia to grow maize for export to Kenya.
Nyakera argued that the decision where the two governments were supposed to enter into a contractual agreement where Zambia farmers would grow maize solely for export to Kenya was tantamount to an admission of dereliction of duty by CS Linturi and by extension the government of the Republic of Kenya to support and provide enabling infrastructure for Kenyan farmers to produce food locally.
The party also argued that it was illogical for Kenya to engage Zambia to produce maize as the country was facing a similar shortage which forced its government to lift subsidies on imported maize. They alleged Zambia is also importing maize to satisfy the demands of its citizens.
Agriculture CS Mithika Linturi during his vetting on October 21, 2022. /FILE
