Nairobi, August 22, 2023 - Trade Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria introduced the long-awaited Mama-Pima cooking oil vending machines on Monday, offering Kenyans the opportunity to purchase cooking oil in smaller quantities at more affordable rates compared to the prevailing market prices.
Despite facing criticism for entering a sector already dominated by private sector players, President William Ruto's administration maintains that the move aims to protect Kenyan consumers from exploitative trade practices.
Josiah Murigu, the Communications Officer at the Ministry of Trade, provided details on how traders can acquire the machines. He explained that interested parties can visit the Kenya National Trading Corporation (KNTC) headquarters in Nairobi and purchase the machine for Ksh185,000.
Additionally, Murigu confirmed that groups will also be allowed to become retailers without imposing any restrictions or qualifications.
"The process is that easy – you can walk into KNTC and leave with your machine without any forms required," he assured.
The government plans to sell the cooking oil at Ksh210 per litre, a significantly lower cost compared to the Ksh340 per litre traders currently pay to local manufacturers.
Murigu stated that the Indonesian government has provided the vending machines, with 100 machines already in the country. He added that more machines are en route.
"I cannot confirm the exact number donated by Indonesia since some are still in transit," he revealed.
The Ministry is collaborating with local manufacturing companies to increase the production of the machines and enhance their availability in the market.
KNTC Managing Director Pamela Mutua emphasized that the initiative aims to empower Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), particularly women and youth.
"Beyond making cooking oil more accessible and affordable, the project creates employment opportunities. Individuals and groups can operate the vending machines as small businesses, contributing to job creation and fostering self-employment avenues," Mutua explained.
CS Kuria expressed his approval of the initiative, aligning it with the Kenya Kwanza government's Bottom-Up Economic Model, which aims to uplift low-income earners.
"Residents will be able to pay as little as Ksh20 and buy cooking oil seamlessly," Kuria said.
Simon Chelugui, the Co-operatives & Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) counterpart, encouraged Kenyans to leverage the Hustler Fund to acquire loans for purchasing the vending machines. The programme offers business loans ranging from Ksh200,000 to Ksh2 million for groups.
