Nairobi, March 22 -- The government through the Kenya National Trading Corporation (KNTC) is importing a range of household foodstuffs under a Sh24 billion programme as it seeks to ease the pain of the high cost of living, which pushed inflation to 9.2 percent in February.

KNTC, a State corporation under the Ministry of Agriculture, has been allowed to import 150,000 tonnes of rice, 80,000 tonnes of beans, 200,000 tonnes of sugar, 25,000 tonnes of wheat and 125,000 tonnes of cooking oil to tame the current runaway prices of basic commodities.

The duty-free import programme, which has been rocked by controversy, will run for one year from February. Here is what to expect.

How will the food be distributed?

KNTC, whose mandate is to part...