Kenyans are now eating more ugali contributing to the unga shortage currently being experienced in the country, Agriculture CS Willy Bett has said.
The CS made the comments adding that the government has moved to diversify transportation of imported white maize to ease the biting shortage.
He said that Kenyans have shifted to eating more ugali as the prices of the commodity have been subsidized making it more affordable.
Bett said that imported maize will now be transported swiftly from Mombasa to the millers once transportation is diversified hence alleviating the shortage.
The CS was witnessing the arrival of about 12,000 through the Rift Valley Railways yesterday.
“To ensure every Kenyan enjoys the Sh90 subsidised maize flour, all maize from Mombasa will be removed using SGR, RVR and trucks,” Bett said.
In the last two weeks, there has been a shortage of unga which the CS attributes to high demand from Kenyans now eating ugali more.
“Since we started the subsidised programme, we have witnessed more Kenyans preferring unga, thus the high demand for maize flour,” he said.
Since early May when the government launched the Sh6 billion subsidy program, about 1.2 million bags of imported maize have been distributed.
About 3.8 million bags are expected to be imported between now and end of July.
