Where subsidised unga is sold expensively ‘with strings attached’

Alamin Jalleh and James Ochieng enjoying a meal of ugali, 'kunde' and 'omena' in Kibera yesterday. They used to pay Sh30 for the meal but are now forced to part with Sh60 because of unga shortage. [David Gichuru, Standard]

 

Some residents have been forced to pay more for the Government subsidised maize flour, branded GoK Sh90 in some parts of the city. The shops around Kibera and Lang’ata are selling Government of Kenya (GoK) flour between Sh100 and Sh150 to the residents who are left with no option.

“The unga is never there in the supermarkets and we cannot be allowed to buy unga alone. If you want two packets of unga, you have to buy a kilo of sugar, or cooking oil,” said a resident Jennifer Moraa.

“Yesterday, we protested here at Mama Caro’s shop. She was selling the GoK unga at Sh100 but because it is a rarity, people still scrambled for it despite the high price,” said another resident, Fredrick Ondaya, even as the unga debate raged on.

Moraa said the shop sold the flour fairly as most shops in the area were selling it at a much higher cost. She had bought the flour at Sh150 the previous day and was quick to ask us to look around. Moraa said residents preferred to part with a few coins more rather than buy items they had not budgeted for.

“We do not need anything more than we need unga. Sugar is a luxury we cannot afford, not to mention cooking oil which these shopkeepers are imposing on us,” she asserted.

On visiting Mama Caro’s shop, the shopkeeper quickly announced the Government unga was selling at Sh100. She quickly dismissed me as I tried to probe deeper on why she was selling the GoK maize flour, neatly fixed with a sticker inscribed Sh90 at a higher price.

Making profits

“Madam, I already told you unga costs Sh100, GoK or whatever. If the price makes you uncomfortable, please move to the next shop,” she uttered already reaching out to the next customer.

Less than five minutes later, James Ochieng’, alias Rainbow, buys a packet of flour at Mama Caro’s shop at Sh90 which begs the question, are the shopkeepers exploiting the residents or avoiding losses?

“We have just received a new stock. Now the flour costs Sh90,” announced the shopkeeper. She must have thought we were Government agents.

Much to our surprise, the next shop located just a few kilometres from Mama Caro’s shop sold the same unga at Sh120. The shopkeeper blames wholesalers for selling the flour at higher prices forcing them to charge more.

“We buy our unga from traders in Kawangware who sell a bundle between Sh1,050 and Sh107 per a two-kilo packet. How much should we sell them at? We are in business,” argued Obed Lukumayi popularly known as Maasai.

Maasai said if they sold the maize at the recommended Sh90 price, they would run at a loss considering they have to transport the maize flour to their shops.

Rare commodity

“The sellers dictate the minimum and maximum amount you can buy and they do not allow you to bargain,” he explained.

Maasai’s sentiments were echoed by another shop owner Michael Ndolo who said they were only making profits of between Sh5 and Sh10.

“Where is the subsidized unga? We struggle to get it and we pay dearly to get it here. We have to control the buying and we have to get our profits too,” he said.

William Ouma, a shopkeeper, said he is stuck with the old stock because of the subsidised flour. He said he would be forced to sell the stock at a loss. While some of the Kibera residents toiled to buy the Gok unga, some said they prefer buying maize and milling rather than getting the unstable Gok unga.