Lobby group threatens to sue gov’t over maize subsidy programme

The civil society, under the banner of the Integrated Development Network (IDN), is threatening to move to the court to stop the ongoing maize subsidy fund program if the government does not buy maize from local farmers at Ksh 4,200 per a 90kg bag.

IDN says the government is currently extending the subsidy and buying maize from millers at Ksh 4,200 per a 90kg bag and yet it has refused to give better prices to local farmers with the price remaining at Ksh 3,600 per a 90 kg bag.

” The government must offer farmers the same price that millers are getting under the subsidy program,” said Dennis Wendo, IDN Program Officer.

IDN has also lamented that the subsidized maize flour retailing at Ksh 90 per a 2kg packet is inadequate and has not reached all Kenyans especially those in rural areas, despite the government assurances of having enough amount of the basic commodity.

“The government should increase the distribution of subsidized maize flour evenly countrywide to avoid conflict being experienced in the country,” added Mr. Wendo.

In a statement, IDN is now warning politicians against politicizing the whole issue of maize crisis at the expense of common ‘mwananchi’ whose lives are in danger even when they continue to ask for answers regarding the recent importation of 29,000 metric tons of maize from Mexico.

The lobby group has blamed the current crisis on the Jubilee administration’s poor planning and failing to take all measures to curb hoarding of maize by farmers.