A 2kg packet of maize flour now costs Sh100 in some supermarkets after President Uhuru Kenyatta announced a food subsidy on the commodity on Wednesday.
The subsidy was supposed to take effect on Wednesday, but some Nairobi supermarkets are still selling unga at between Sh180 and Sh230.
In a review, a 2kg maize flour retailed for Sh100 at Naivas supermarkets in Nairobi on Thursday morning, but it cost Sh197 at Carrefour and Sh210 to Sh230 at Quick Mart Supermarket, depending on the brand.
However, at Carrefour a buyer was limited to buying only two packets of the Jogoo maize meal.
On Thursday morning, Naivas Supermarket informed its customers via social media platforms that a 2kg packet of Jogoo flour would cost Ksh.99. Their offer included cooking oil.
“Mnajua serikali imefanya ile kitu kwa bei ya unga but tunajua lazima upike mboga pia kwa hivyo tumecheza kama sisi kwa side ya mafuta. Ni unga utakujia, cooking oil au zote zote?” Naivas notified its customers.
Uhuru in his announcement at State House said the directive on unga prices will take effect immediately.
“This programme of a subsidy of approximately Sh105 per 2kg pack of maize meal is meant to lower the cost of living for vulnerable households as we look for a sustainable solution to the recurrent rising prices of unga every election,” Uhuru said.
However, the presidential order did not take effect immediately since majority of the retailers already had unsold stock that they purchased with the old price.
