A heavy wagon was being dragged along a country lane by a team of oxen. The axle trees groaned and creaked terribly; whereupon the oxen, turning round, thus addressed the wheels: “Hallo there! Why do you make so much noise? We bear all the labour, and we, not you, ought to cry out.”
Kenya is going through a rough time and like the oxen, Kenyans are crying out but not as loudly as those who should not. Kenyan leaders have this annoying habit of complaining and seeking to get more than they deserve.
Across the nation, many low-income earners depend on unga for their daily nourishment. It is now almost a daily occurrence to find TV and print headline stories on the cost of living, with a focus on the escalating price of unga.
Of course, there are other commodities affected by the rising prices, in and outside Kenya, but unga sits at the centre of most families in the country. Millions of Kenyans have made maize and maize meal the staple food in their homes and thus, the cost of their ugali rising is an emotional affair.
Among some cultures, anything other than ugali is considered an appetiser and only after eating ugali will a meal be considered complete. Unfortunately, the price of this valuable food source has almost tripled in the past five years, from a low of Sh90 in 2017 to nearly Sh250 today.
On May 16, 2017, when the government stepped in and brought down the retail price of unga to Sh90, Kenyans celebrated as this made food affordable. This came at a cost for the government as the state had to spend more on subsidies.
There may be other macroeconomic factors at play but this is one food that must be affordable to all Kenyan homes. It is good that the government has removed all the levies on imported maize but more still needs to be done.
Granted, for the price to reduce other factors along the supply chain must be enhanced. Affordable farm machinery, subsidised fertiliser and manure, a readily available market for maize, and competitive purchase of maize must be worked on.
Why can’t the government subsidise the price of maize for a year and the Agriculture ministry given a year to bring all other factors along the value chain to par? The US subsidises food for the most vulnerable through the food stamp programme.
In 2013, India launched a considerable food subsidy programme for two-thirds of the population, with rice, wheat and millet sold at affordable prices to the poor.
Poor rains and drought have caused the rising food prices in Kenya. This led to poor yields by local farmers, making it impossible for them to meet the demand of the Kenyan population.
The government’s intervention is therefore necessary. This is not the first time that it will be happening. The intervention will ensure that Kenyans can now get unga at a more affordable price and ensure that families do not stay hungry.
As this temporary intervention takes its course, it is important that we also, as a country, come together and think of ways to avoid this again. It is important that we eventually come up with the best solutions for food security.
Parliament should also consider enacting a national food security bill to combat hunger and guarantee food security. This will ensure that the government does not wait until prices have soared to intervene.
It is good that the leading presidential candidates have put food security a key priority but they must work with the government now to ensure that there is a temporary solution. There is no harm in sharing ideas with the government now instead of waiting until they are elected in August to offer solutions.
A food subsidy programme is the best way to ensure that Kenyans get what they need. This will also help keep the nation healthy and productive and also help deal with crime where some are forced to steal in order to ensure that their families do not sleep hungry.
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