President William Ruto has told off Kenya Kwanza critics over the current high food prices in the country.
Speaking in Kirinyaga on Saturday, Ruto said his government is well aware of the situation and has a plan to cushion Kenyans against the high food prices.
"We are going to teach our competitors agricultural economics. They are subsidising consumption but we are going to invest in production, that is a world of a difference," he said.
Ruto said his government started off by reducing the price of fertiliser in order to provide farmers with the necessary 'tool' to increase food production.
He noted that the medicine to hunger in Kenya is equipping farmers not issuing subsidies on consumables.
"Azimio want us to go back to their wrong strategy, we will not. We will focus on production. They spent Sh8 billion subsidising Unga that did not get to the shops, we are using that to ensure we have over six million bags of subsidised fertiliser for our farmers," he said.
He was speaking in Kirinyaga county during the launch of Thiba Dam.
Last month, Ruto lowered fertiliser prices from Sh6,500 for a 50-kilogram bag to Sh3,500.
"We have to ensure our farmers get help and work on food production," Ruto said.
Speaking during his inauguration ceremony at Kasarani Stadium on September 13, Ruto noted that the new prices would come into effect after a week as his administration works on transforming the agricultural sector in the country.
The President further told his critics that they are to blame for the high cost of maize flour in the country.
He accused the former regime under retired President Uhuru Kenyatta of using Sh8 billion for the maize flour subsidy which never fixed the problem.
Before the elections, Uhuru announced that a 2 kilogram-packet of unga would retail at Sh100 down from an average of Sh225 following talks with millers at State House.
However, outgoing Agriculture CS Peter Munya later suspended the subsidy citing inadequate funds from the National Treasury as the main.
President Ruto stated that his government will use the same Sh8 billion to subsidise millions of bags for fertiliser to increase food production.
"We have a different approach from them and they will understand. In a process of four years, they have pushed us where unga was Sh100 now it is Sh230. Now they want to take us back. I want to tell them that we know how to work," Ruto said.
The head of State affirmed that their mandate to lower the cost of living was predicated on the cost of production and commodities.
