By Job Weru

Mathira MP Ephraim Maina plans to bring a motion in parliament to compel the Government to implement the Price Control Act.

Maina, who successfully moved the Bill, regretted that the Ministry of Finance and other responsible departments had failed to execute the law.

The law is aimed at cushioning Kenyans from ever-increasing prices of essential products.

Speaking after meeting dairy farmers in Karatina on Tuesday, the legislator accused the Government of allowing traders and cartels to reign against commoners who earn less than a dollar a day.

READ MORE

 My experience at SA's G20 Women's shutdown

 Let's stop domestic conflicts turning into child murder

 US-based Tanzania activist protests after Meta deletes Instagram accounts

 State to appeal verdict on controversial law criminalising seeds sharing

"I will lobby MPs to pass a legislation that will pressure the Government to implement the law accordingly," he said.

The MP regretted that even after parliament overwhelmingly voted for the law, the Government was not concerned over the fate of wananchi, most of whom were hard hit by the current economic conditions.

He regretted that the unscrupulous traders were also to blame for the ever-declining value of the Kenyan shilling.

"It is sad to note that the cost of living is increasingly rising, at a time when the Price Control Act was passed by parliament and the president signed it into law," he said.

He called on Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta to put necessary measures into place to arrest the rising inflation and at the same time enforce the law as prescribed.

The Price Control Act provides for regulation of prices of essential commodities, so as to secure their availability at reasonable prices.

Under this Act, the Finance minister is authorised to declare goods deemed essential commodities and determine the maximum prices of the commodities in consultation with industry players.

The law was drawn in an effort to protect the poor from exploitative cartels and at the same time maintain the confidence of investors.

"We made the law with the sole intention of protecting consumers, especially the poor lot, but it is sad that the Government is still shelving the Act, while Kenyans are being choked by food prices," he lamented.