Homa Bay, Tharaka Nithi and Lamu districts have been identified as ideal districts for palm tree cultivation in a new scheme by the government to manage the rising cost of imports. cooking oil.
Secretary of the Commercial Cabinet Moses Korea Tell standard The plan for next year is expected to wean the country away from dependence on imports from Indonesia.
“Now we have Sh20 cooking oil. Next year, we want to start planting some oil palm trees here in Kenya. We are working with counties like Homa Bay, Lamu and Tharaka Nithi,” CS said.
We do not want to continue importing edible oil. We spend 150 billion shillings on imports. We want to be self-sufficient.”
CS Corea, who was speaking at the launch of Mama Bima, an oil-distributing machine for low-income people in Kawangwar, Nairobi, said the country would borrow paper from Indonesia on how to become self-sufficient in palm oil production.
CS, whose agenda also deals with industry and investments, said the idea of cooking oil dispensers was borrowed from Indonesia.
“Indonesia is the leading producer of cooking oil globally. Their economy is 18 times that of Kenya, and they have this machine that caters to low-income people.
The machines will dispense cooking oil at a price as low as Sh10 and will be strategically located in residential areas.
The ministry sees this as an innovative solution to the high price of cooking oil in the country, which averages Sh360 per liter.
However, a number of merchants have set up shops in residential areas, but they do not sell quantities less than a liter.
Korea said Kenya National Trading Corporation (KNTC) It will lead the installation of more palm oil distribution machines across the country, which will be manufactured locally.
“We don’t want to import machines,” CS said.
CS said the government through the Hustler Fund will also empower individuals with registered groups to sell cooking oil using vending machines.
This will be done in cooperation with the Ministry of Cooperatives and Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises.
The launch comes on the sidelines of Indonesian President Joko Widodo’s visit to Kenya.