A Commentary on the President’s Directive to Public Schools to Procure Rice From Kenya National Trading Corporation

On 14th January 2020, His Excellency the president Uhuru Kenyatta directed the Kenya National Trading Corporation to purchase excess rice from Kano plains and Mwea. The rice was to be sold to the disciplined forces, prison services and public schools. Ten months down the road, the Ministry of Education released a circular on 8th October 2020 which listed the prices of the rice. Heads from public primary and secondary schools caused an uproar claiming that the prices in the circular were expensive. Further, they claimed that they supported the local suppliers by procuring goods from them. The ministry officials claim that the presidential directive has to be complied with and that schools have no other option other than to negotiate with the Kenya National Trading Corporation with regard to the prices.

The government is doing a commendable job promoting the Kenyan products through its BUY KENYA BUILD KENYA initiative. However, the manner in which it is promoting the initiative is ineffective. I seek to address this issue in this article, and give reasons that show that the approach taken by the government in ordering public schools to procure rice from Kenya National Trading Corporation is ineffective. To begin with, I will address the justification for the famous BUY KENYA BUILD KENYA initiative. Secondly, I will explain why the move by the government in ordering public schools to buy rice from Kenya National Trading Corporation is ineffective. Finally, I will offer my concluding remarks.