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{
    "id": 1274344,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1274344/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 158,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Tigania West, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr) John Mutunga",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Ksh4 billion had been paid under Article 223 of the Constitution while the balance of Ksh3.267 billion was yet to be paid. It had been presented to the Committee for regularisation. Hon. Speaker, the amount of Ksh4 billion was paid in July 2022 and presented to the Committee for regularisation through the Supplementary Estimates as required by Article 223 of the Constitution. The Committee did not approve the expenditure on account of non- disclosure of information on maize suppliers, the quantity of maize flour supplied, the areas supplied with the subsidised maize flour, and the retail outlets that sold the maize flour. It was for the above reasons that the Committee resolved to conduct an inquiry into the Maize Flour Subsidy Programme whose objectives were to: 1. Find out whether the programme achieved its objective. 2. Establish whether the identification process of millers was free and fair. 3. Find out if there was value for money in the execution of the entire programme. In recent years, Kenya has been experiencing maize deficit attributed to prolonged droughts that has increased in frequency and intensity. This is due to the low average rate for performance, high cost of agricultural inputs, decreasing acreage of land for farming due to population growth, poor agronomic practices, among others. To bridge the deficit, the country relies on maize imports from the East African Community and COMESA countries. However, this was not the case in 2022 because there was poor production of maize in the entire region. Due to the maize shortage, prices increased from between Ksh3,000 per a 90-kilogramme bag to Ksh3,500 per a 90-kilogramme bag in April 2022 to Ksh4,600 and Ksh5,000 shillings in May 2022. To cushion consumers from the high prices, the Government waived duties and levies on maize imports from countries outside East Africa and the COMESA region to bridge the gap. Despite this, maize prices continued to rise due to shortage, disruption in the global supply chain, and high fuel prices. A two-kilogramme packet of sifted maize flour was retailing at between Ksh190 and Ksh215 at that time. The Government made a decision to further cushion consumers through the Maize Flour Subsidy Programme. In May 2022, flour prices skyrocketed to a record high of Ksh210 for a two-kilogramme packet. The Government introduced a short-term Maize Flour Subsidy Programme implemented between 21st July and 17th August 2022."
}