Politics of Unga: President Kenyatta queries hiking of unga prices every election year

Speaking at State House, Nairobi on Wednesday when he announced the lowering of the price of a 2Kg pack of maize flour to Ksh.100 from Ksh.205, the President questioned how there is always an "Unga crisis" going further to say it is engineered.

"Let me begin by stating a pattern I have observed in our country. Every election in this country has attracted ‘Unga Crisis’.  In fact, there seem to be an engineered connection between elections and the high prices of unga," he said.

"There is an obvious trend between the manner the price of unga goes up and the tempo taken by the election."

Mr. Kenyatta, whose second presidential term nears an end, cited three instances when the unga crisis has happened during an election cycle saying the trend needs to end.

"In July 2012, months before the March 2013 election, the price of a packet of two kilogrammes of Unga shot up from Ksh.70 to Ksh.130. When my administration came to office, we had to intervene to bring down this price as an urgent priority," he said.

"In May 2017, three months to the August 2017 election, the price of unga shot up to an unprecedented high of Ksh.189. This is the highest price experienced between independence and 2017 and this crisis was used as the fuel that powered the ambitions of certain members of the political class.'

"Today, months to the August 2022 election, the price of unga has shot up again.  It has moved from a price that is affordable of Ksh.100 to Ksh.205."

The president was at pains to try and link the two; price hike and elections' "Is this the result of a market dynamic or is it a deliberate outcome?  This question must be posed and put to rest," he said in his address to the nation.

The president announced the reduction of price of maize flour to Ksh.100 down from Ksh.205 and also ordered for the suspension of the Railway Development Levy (RDL) and the Import Declaration Fee (IDF) on all imported Maize.

"This programme of a subsidy of Ksh.105 per 2kg pack of maize-meal is meant to lower the cost of living for the vulnerable households as we look for a sustainable solution to the recurrent rising price of unga every election," he said.