For those who live in Malindi and its surroundings, it is easy to see how in the supermarket desks and in the colorful and cheerful confusion of kiosks, bazaars and local bunks, for some time now, the main food of Kenyan citizens is lacking: the flour Of corn to make "smooth" or "ugali", in short, the national dish of Kenya: white polenta with various condiments and companatici.
The situation has become serious, especially for those who do not have the resources to afford other livelihoods that fill the stomach in an equally efficient way. Eating rice, for example, especially among the rides of the coast, is considered a luxury (maybe once a week a rice and beans, or even a "pilao" with meat).
The so-called "shortage" of unga wa mahindi (corn flour) is explained by the long period of drought that all of East Africa has experienced recently and the rains of this last week have not yet remedied.
The prices of the few maize flour reserves rose to the stars, and the 750 thousand parcels that the Cereal Millers Association had in the stores, so far, according to the consumers, only one-third of the demand In Nairobi alone.
There are now arrivals of maize from foreign countries, there is already a cargo ready to be cleared at the port of Mombasa with 230,000 tons of corn to be grated, coming from Mexico via Durban, South Africa.
But in this case the prices will rise to the stars and at this particular political moment it would be a great deal to deal with for the Government.
So a crisis that according to the director of the CMA is "real and very serious", there are also political problems, with the resulting demagogy.
So, in the meantime, it consumes the flour "00", and tries to supply the lack of smooth with chapati and bread.
But for the already tested and half-yearly Kenyan portfolios this situation can not last long.
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