They are now blaming free market forces, saying middlemen and millers are taking advantage of the East Africa Community (EAC) common market protocol to import maize from Uganda yet there are adequate local supplies. During the period, Kenya has received close to 3,000 tonnes from Uganda despite local farmers harvesting their produce between November and December. “We want them to prioritise local maize and ensure prompt payment for delivered maize. They claimed most maize from Uganda enters the country through the porous Suam border point, destabilising local market prices. NCPB data indicates that the board has bought 1.6 million bags of 90kg maize estimated at Sh2.6 billion by Tuesday last week.

Source: Daily Nation January 07, 2018 09:56 UTC