"We have worked extremely well" - DP Gachagua

The Kenya Kwanza government has done extremely well in the few months since it took over from the previous administration, this is according to Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.

Gachagua says that although implementation of its policies has not been in the pace they desired, the government - under the tutelage of President Willia Ruto - has done a lot to reduce the price of maize floor (unga) and bring down the cost of living for Kenyans.

"We have done extremely well....When we [Kenya Kwanza] came in the cost of unga was between KSh230 to KSh250, and at that time there was an KSh8 billion subsidy which was of course stolen. Now unga, depending on where you are buying, is between KSh170 to KSh191. As of this afternoon at Nivas Supermarket, it was KSh178 per 2kg packet," Gachagua said in an interview on Sunday, March 12 night.

The second in command says the government opted to be smart enough and subsidise production rather than consumption like former President Uhuru Kenyatta did. Gachagua says that this move will, in the long run, bring down the prices of unga and by extension the cost of living.  

"In the long term, we decided to subsidise production, and that is why we set money aside to subsidise the cost of fertilizer...Fertiliser that was going at KSh7000 per 50kg bag is now KSh3500. The net effect of that is that farmers will get better yields, at a lower cost of production and that benefit will pass to consumers.

"We have prepared our farmers well, all farmers in the country have enough fertiliser...They will get bumper harvest and bring the cost of unga down to KSh110," Gachagua added.

'Raila is a hypocrite'

He accused Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition leader Raila Odinga of being a hypocrite. Raila has vowed to lead countrywide protests against President Ruto's government, until it addresses the cost of living that Kenyans are currently battling with.

But according to Gachagua, the problem of high cost of living did not start with the Kenya Kwanza administration. In fact, Gachagua says that they inherited the problem from a government that Raila was supporting.

"When unga was KSh230 during President Uhuru's government, he did not call for maandamano, why is he calling for protests now?"

'There's no maize'

Gachagua revealed that the government is yet to import maize in a bid to lower the cost of unga because there is no maize available in the world, and that the little that is available, different governments across the world are fighting for it.

"CS Mithika Linturi was in Zambia the other day, there is no maize available...the only maize available is in South Africa, and we are in competition with Angola and Rwanda for the same maize. The maze in Brazil, because of the distance, the cost will be very high," he said.

Instead, Gachagua says the government decided to give the greenlight to millers and businesspersons to import maize, but even that has not been forthcoming.

"we advertised for millers and other people to apply to be given permits to import duty-free maize so that we can bring down the price of unga. There is no maize anywhere in the world. There is a problem of maize availability everywhere in the world."