Cost of ugali rises as price of flour goes up 10%

Retail outlets have raised maize flour prices by at least 10% in the last three months, piling pressure on households as millers transfer grain procurement costs to the consumers.

Cereal Millers Association chairman Nick Hutchinson said grain prices have also gone up by similar margins due to low supply in the market.  Nearly all the popular flour brands of the staple food have increased by more than Sh10 in the last three month, with the cheapest brand selling at Sh113.

“We have witnessed a limited supply of maize, more so in the last two weeks and that is why the price of the maize flour has gone up,” Mr Hutchinson said.

He said prices would remain high until maize supply stabilises with the long rain crop harvest expected to start trickling in October. The price of maize has been going up in the last two months with a 90-kilogramme bag of maize currently retailing at an average of Sh3,000.

Government statistics indicate that the volumes of maize imported from Tanzania and Uganda shrunk to 500,000 bags in May compared to one million bags in the month of March.

A two-kilogramme packet of Soko flour is retailing at Sh113 from Sh103, Pembe at Sh113 from Sh92 while Jogoo is selling at Sh118 from Sh106 in April in nearly all the retail shops. The premium brand hostess is now selling at Sh153 from Sh139.

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