Speaking exclusively to the Star, millers and industry stakeholders tore into the government's decision to allow the importation of not more than 540,000 metric tonnes of duty-free white non-GMO maize.
Smallscale Millers Association of Kenya chairperson Kennedy Nyagah said Tanzania, Zambia and Malawi have run out of their surplus, forcing importers to look across the border.
''It is only South Africa that has a surplus but GMO. Mexico is the only country that has the commodity but it is not possible to import within the set timeline,'' Nyagah said.
He strongly suspects that those expected to import the maize had prior information.
His sentiments are shared by another industry player who wished not to be mentioned for fear of reprisals.
''It is not possible to bring in the maize from Mexico in less than 60 days. Importers need to make a quote to suppliers, an inspection is done by the Kenya Bureau of Standards before being shipped,'' he said.
Millers wonder why the government dismissed calls to import the commodity early this year, insisting that the country had plenty in the store.
According to a gazette notice issued on May 20, the waiver of import duty shall apply to white non-GMO maize imported into Kenya on or before August.
"The timing of this waiver on importation is extremely suspicious. I won't be surprised that those imports are already on the high seas,'' the miller said.
National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani said the imported maize must comply with the laws of Kenya and be implemented by the National Biosafety Authority and Kenya Bureau of Standards.
“The imported maize shall have a moisture content not exceeding 13.5 percent as provided for under the laws of Kenya and Kenyan Standards (KS EAS2:2017) applicable under the laws of Kenya and implemented by the Kenya Bureau of Standards.
The gazette notice also stated that aflatoxin levels in each consignment of maize shall not exceed ten parts per billion (ppb).
This is as provided for under the laws of Kenya and Kenyan Standards (KS EAS2:2017) implemented by the Kenya Bureau of Standards and the Department of Public Health of the Ministry of Health.
In 2017, 29,900 metric tonnes of maize were imported into the country in a record three weeks from Mexico, raising public concern.
The ministry, however, clarified that Mexican maize was transhipped into Kenya through South Africa.
Last week, Agriculture CS Peter Munya said there is insufficient maize in Tanzania and Uganda which are the main source of maize imports for the country, hence millers will have to source maize outside the continent.
Munya had said that the Ministry is doing an assessment of the maize that is currently available in the country and which would guide the quantity that is needed for importation.
“The report will be out soon and after that, we will allow for the importation of maize. The first shipment will take approximately 45 days to get to the Port of Mombasa,” he said.
A 90 kg bag of maize in Kenya is currently retailing at between Sh4,000 to Sh4,200.
Timothy Njagi, a senior researcher from Tegemeo Institute told the Star on the phone that the looming maize shortage has been made worse by the Russia-Ukraine crisis because Ukraine was a big supplier of non-genetically modified maize globally.
“Ukraine is a grain basket country and exports a lot of wheat and maize globally. Prices of maize will continue going up unless there is some intervention,'' Njagi said.
He added that countries like Malawi and Zambia that have a surplus have already been approached by Asian countries like India. There has been discussion at the African Union (AU) to try and cushion countries against rising costs.
On maize for animal feed use, feed manufacturers April asked the government to relax the conditions for the importation of yellow maize for animal feed use, citing a global shortage of raw materials.
This is after the Government issued a gazette notice in October 2021, allowing feed manufacturers to import yellow maize that is 100 per cent GMO-free.
Through the Association of Kenya Feed Manufacturers, the manufacturers asked to be allowed to import yellow maize and soybean that is at least 99.1 per cent GMO-free, instead of 100 per cent.
AKEFEMA secretary-general Martin Kinoti argued that there is nowhere in the world that they can currently access raw material for making animal feeds that are 100 per cent GMO-free.
Following the request, the government agreed to relax conditions on the importation of GMO materials for animal feed manufacture.
Livestock PS Harry Kimtai told the media that the Ministry of Agriculture has decided to review the framework for the importation of yellow maize by lowering the requirement to 99.1 per cent GMO-free.
He added that this was in light of the ongoing drought and shortage of feeds.
