Why Peter Munya wants Kenyans to stop eating ugali
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya has asked Kenyans to move away from the national staple, ugali, and instead embrace other foods.
Speaking at the Namanga border, Munya said that the government will gazette a directive that would lower the price of maize flour by Sh2. This comes a day after the CS suspended all levies imposed on imported maize.
“Kenyans should embrace other foods. Maize was brought by our colonisers; we cannot rely on it and forget what our forefathers fed on like sorghum and cassava,” Munya said.
“We have decided to suspend all levies imposed on imported maize by 90 days that is coming to Kenya from any border post and from July 1, no charges will be levied on maize,” he said.
The cost of maize flour has doubled over the last few weeks with many Kenyans struggling to put ugali on their tables. A 2kg packet of maize flour currently retails at Sh208.
With the cost of living soaring, many Kenyan households have been forced to dig deeper into their pockets to afford basic commodities.
However, during the Labor Day celebrations, President Uhuru Kenyatta asked politicians to stop blaming him for the high cost of living saying it was an issue ‘beyond his control’, remarks which drew diverse views.