Kenya: Legislators accuse maize millers of breaching subsidy deadline deal

The Kenya Parliament's House Committee on Agriculture has accused millers of supplying maize flour beyond the end of their contracts, exacerbating a dispute over a debt of Sh2.9 billion owed to the millers by the government. The committee's chairperson, John Mutunga, suggested that millers may have continued supplying subsidy flour for up to six days after the program's end, despite the government's denial of such extensions and millers' claims of not receiving revocation notices. This situation arose from a subsidy program initiated by former President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2022, intended to address escalating maize prices, but which has led to significant financial challenges for the millers due to the government's delayed payments and interest accrual. The millers' financial strain is further worsened by the high cost of maize and diminishing demand for flour, compounded by the committee's decision to withhold payment to millers, a move the millers argue is unfair in light of their continued supply and the government's failure to provide proper notification of program changes.