A stop check in various supermarkets reveals that basic commodity prices are on a rise and households in Kenya may not afford to have three meals a day. An average household may need basic commodities such as milk, sugar, bread, rice, salt, maize flour, wheat flour, cooking oil, green grams and vegetables, this is just basic not inclusive of toiletries and groceries.
In the past with ksh1,000, one would be able to purchase this basic commodities but now the note has lost its value. A packet of 500ml of milk now retails at 75 shillings from 50 shillings a few days ago. A litre of cooking oil is retailing at ksh380 which will not be enough to last a family of four for a whole week. A loaf of bread is now 65 shillings and both 2kg of wheat and maize flour are sold @ ksh 180 and ksh120 respectively. Prices of groceries have also gone up.
The rise in food commodities has been attributed to low production of food due to the on going drought and the Covid pandemic that witnessed lock downs and low supply of food products across the nation. The Russia- Ukraine war escalated the situation as most wheat and petrol/gas is imported from Ukraine and Russia.
High cost of farm inputs, feeds and fertilisers saw farmers increase their farm products to cater for their returns extending this to consumers. Most farmers did not plant food because of high prices of fertilisers causing food shortage in Kenya.
It is the governments duty to maintain the balance between agricultural profitability and consumer price affordability. In the 2022/2023 budget that was read on Thursday 7th by Finance Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani, Kenyans expect that funds have been set aside to subsidise food items. We wait to see whether the budget will have a direct positive impact on Kenyans as it has been termed as “Mwananchi Friendly.”