The standardized maize flour will now take time before it is evenly distributed in the country.

This is according to Kakamega County Senator Bonny Khalwale who on Thursday seemingly confirmed that the newly unveiled cheap unga was not available countrywide, however noting that the marketing factors laid out by the government would make it available in due time.

The senator argued that even though a lot of Kenyans were questioning where and when the cheaper unga would be made widely available, the transition would not be drastic but would require time before all players agree to reduce prices.

“I don’t know where it is. I expect the unga to be in the supermarkets… and if it is, in the kiosks. If it is not there, let people wait for it,” he said.

“There was no monopoly in terms of the supply of maize and therefore unga because the cheaper brand is coming into a market that already had already other players; it will take a bit of time in a free market economy for the expensive brands to be overwhelmed by the cheaper one,” Bonny added.

Following a report from a lawmaker who is affiliated with President William Ruto-led Kenya Kwanza, the government needs time in order for the maize in farms to mature and is harvested for the cost to be reflected in the price of flour.

Khalwale further defended the regime, saying its recent steps to subsidize production by reducing the cost of farm inputs and fertilizers has had a ripple effect in the reduction of production adding that a reduction in the cost of production will be directly proportional to the lowering of prices of maize.

“Going forward, the answer lies in making the cost of production low, in terms of farm inputs, cost of plowing, and labor; once it is low, the real solution will come after the harvest. A farmer will be comfortable to sell his maize to millers at a low price because to produce a bag would have cost him less due to the low cost of farm inputs,” he said.

By Jane Kibathi