President William Ruto has now changed his tune and says that he will need more time to reduce the high cost of living. This includes the price of maize flour which is Kenya’s staple food. The president said this when he was launching the affordable.

Dr. Ruto had promised to reduce the cost of living within a hundred days of being sworn in but he acknowledged that the past administration had messed things up so badly that he will need a year to reverse the effects.

“Lazima tupunguze gharama ya maisha, na mimi niliwaambia lazima tuteremshe bei ya unga ikuje chini. Na hiyo safari ya kupunguza gharama ya unga na gharama ya maisha tayari nimeianzisha. Tumepatia wakulima wetu mbolea magunia milioni moja na nusu na tunawapatia ingine milioni sita wazalishe chakula,” Ruto told Kibra residents.

The head of state further lauded his decision to subsidize the cost of production by providing a 3.6 billion fertilizer subsidy. This he says will increase agricultural production and thus reduce the cost of living.

Dr. Ruto maintained his stance that he will not subsidize consumption but instead focus on increasing production. He ruled out any subsidy on maize flour even as he blamed his predecessor Uhuru Kenyatta for economic mismanagement. Dr. Ruto was the Deputy President in former president Kenyatta’s administration although they fell out just a year into their second term

“Wale walioharibu mambo ya unga mpaka ikafika shilingi 230 walikoroga hiyo mambo kwa miaka nne. Mnipatie mwaka moja peke yake nitakuwa nimenyorosha,” he said.