Kenyans are angry that prices of basic commodities such as milk and bread have been on an upward spiral.
Since the pandemic hit the country in March 2020, the economy suffered immensely cutting across all sectors of Manufacturing. Kenyans lost their sources of income. Businesses were wiped out as employers laid off staff to cut wage bills as they grappled with the cost of doing business.
For instance, in 2020 the price of bread stood at Ksh 50 which has in a span of two years, increased to Ksh 60 for select brands representing a 20 per cent increase.
Milk on the other hand, retailed for Ksh 50 in 2020, which increased to Ksh 60 for a packet of 500 mls while a kilogram of beef, which went for Ksh 437 averagely, is now Ksh 550. Other products that recorded a significant rise in pricing are sugar (from Ksh 114 per 1kg bag to over Ksh 150 for some brands) and Maize flour (from Ksh90 to Ksh 120 for a 2kg packet) and Cooking oil, which rose from Ksh 220 per litre to crossing Ksh 300 mark.
Many people shared their shopping lists, detailing how prices of basic food items like milk, bread, sugar and maize flour had spiked sharply in recent months, making it difficult for them to afford three meals a day.
Mary Wanyonyi, a resident from Bungoma Says she is struggling to put food on the table as her monthly household budget cannot buy as much as it could in a few months.
The rate at which the price of basic commodities and farm inputs has increased is alarming putting into consideration that this is a planting season and the price of 50kg bag of planting fertilizer is retailing at Ksh 6,000 something that has made many Kenyans to plant maize without fertilizer and of course this is an indicator that there will be a threat to food security since this will lead to less yields during harvesting period.
By Dorine Oundo