By Eggesa Hajusu
President William Ruto’s October 2023 directive stopping the issuance of permits to importers of wheat and maize in Kenya has started biting maize traders in the Busia regional grain and cereal market.
Ruto’s directive has left maize traders in Busia stranded with thousands of tonnes of produce which were destined for Kenya before the ban was introduced.
The directive was aimed at protecting Kenyan farmers following a bumper maize production in the last seasons.
The surprise development was announced just six months after Uganda had signed a memorandum to export 600,000 tonnes of maize to Kenya annually.
The move has affected Ugandan maize exporters who in the past have been left with a huge surplus.
Busia is the regional hub for grain and cereal destined for Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Henry Bwire, a data analyst with Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWSNET) in Busia, said Ugandan maize which was going for sh1300 a kilogramme, struggled for market following the bumper harvest in Kenya last season.
“Kenyans could not come to buy expensive maize in Uganda when they had cheap maize at home,” Bwire said.
He added that traders have made losses, forcing them to start selling maize below sh1000 to only local consumers and millers after waiting for one full season to sell maize to Kenya which still has more and another season is almost ready.
Kenya is now targeting having two maize production seasons because of the irrigation system being promoted by Ruto.
For Ugandan farmers and traders to survive in the business, Bwire said the government should put in place good policies and also establish cereal boards to buy and stock them, as well as encourage value addition to reduce the exportation of raw maize to Kenya.
Asuman Wejuli, a maize trader, appealed to President Yoweri Museveni to talk to President Ruto to allow maize to start going to Kenya.
He said several traders who have attempted to smuggle maize to Kenya through Busia have been arrested and arraigned in court.
“The situation is not good yet most of us depend on this business and without maize, this market is dead because many people are employed by the maize business,” Wejuli said.
Another trader, Shabban Mayende, who claimed to have 20,000 tonnes of maize in his store, said despite other cereals and grain being sold to Kenya, activity is down since the maize trade is the lifeblood of the market.
LEAD PHOTO CAPTION: Henry Bwire, a produce data analyst in Busia produce market.
