Turkana residents have criticised traders for selling subsidised maize flour at Sh150 instead of the recommended Sh90 per 2kg packet.
They said the subsidised unga reached Lodwar retail outlets last week.
Lodwar town mason David Barasa on Tuesday said residents were happy when the subsidised maize flour started retailing in the local shops, but they were shocked to learn the price was almost double the recommended price.
He said the prices are too high for low-income earners, who have resorted to milling their own flour at posho mills. “Casual labourers are used to eating ugali every day. Life has been very difficult for us since the prices went up,” Barasa said.
“Some of my colleagues have gone back to their villages in Western, because they can’t work on empty stomachs.”
He urged the state to crack down on the “rogue” businesspeople selling the subsidised flour at higher prices.
Another resident, Nicholas Ekatoro, said a 2kg maize flour packet is retailing for as high as Sh200 in remote villages in the county. “It is not even available in villages,” Ekatoro said.
Traders, who requested anonymity, said it is expensive to transport the maize flour from Kitale to Lodwar due to poor roads and worsening insecurity on the Kapenguria-Lodwar road. “Many transporters are not willing to take the risk of transporting goods to Lodwar due to banditry attacks,” the trader said.
