Last week, food experts advised the government to decline Kenya’s request to have Uganda’s maize exported into the East African country.
According to the experts that spoke to a local Newspaper, by rejecting Kenya’s request, the government will be able to manage food scarcity and be able to stabilize the food prices that have gone on the rise due to the countrywide drought.
Olive Najjuma, The Fatboy Show presenter on RX radio indicated that a kilogram of maize flour previously cost 1600 shillings but has now exponentially increased up to 3600 shillings almost the cost of regular rice.
“If we export our maize, we shall find ourselves at a point where we can’t feed our own population. We normally import our rice (super rice) from Tanzania through its importation has also reduced,” Olive said.
Adding, “We are having people dying of hunger. Why should we export the food? Of course, people in the business may not welcome the ban, but with the drought and famine we are experiencing, it won’t do us any good.”
The Agriculture Minister, Hon Frank Tumwebaze, noted that the government is analyzing the proposals from the Kenyan government and the concerns of local experts and activists.
The low yields have seen the price of maize flour rise to Shs3,500 in some areas, up from an average of Shs1,500. Also, maize bran, a component of animal feeds, has increased to a cost between 850 and Shs1,200 shillings per kilogram, from about 600 shillings previously. The prices for other food grains such as rice and beans have relatively increased dramatically over the last couple of months.
The Fatboy show is hosted by James Onen aka Fatboy, Olive, and Sarah every weekday from 6 am to 10 am on RX Radio.
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