CS Munya Advises Kenyans To Opt For Sorghum, Arrow Root And Millet
Kenyans have been urged by the Agricultural Cabinet Secretary, Peter Munya, to find alternatives to maize for their daily meals to reduce their reliance on maize.
Lydia Kadima 
In an interview with NTV, CS Munya suggested that Kenyans look for alternative grains like millet, sorghum, and arrow roots since they are local, more cost-effective, and healthier options given the skyrocketing price of maize flour.
"Kenyans farm a lot of different types of food. We have a variety of foods here. In instances such as this where we are having a shortage, we can turn to other indigenous foods. We can embrace things such as millet and sorghum.
However, he insisted that efforts are being made by the government to obtain cheaper corn in nearby nations.
"I am not saying we won't solve this problem, but we can also learn something that we have a variety and we can also look into them," CS Munya explained.
Munya pointed out that the Ksh2 subsidy on maize flour is only a temporary measure while the government sources for affordable maize form other countries.
"We are looking for maize from other countries and we issued a Gazette Notice to this effect. We have been experiencing drought, the Horn of Africa has been hit by drought and this is not something that is man-made."
"We have seen wars and conflicts as well as Covid-19 which disrupted the logistics of importing food. This should not be turned into a political matter, this is the moment to show leadership," he added.
Ken Nyaga, chair of the United Grain Millers Association (UGMA), stated on June 30 that the waiver of levies was insufficient to cause a major decrease in prices.
He said that the taxes of Ksh100 that the millers paid for a bag of 90 kg of maize were the cause of the negligible rise in price.
Following the government's directive on the removal of levies, which Munya announced on Tuesday, June 28, the price of maize flour decreased by Ksh2.
