Maize
Kitale is part of the great Rift Valley region and it is often referred to as the basket of the nation due to its large production of maize in Kenya.
A 90-kilogram bag of maize in Kitale is selling between 2400 and 2600 shillings with a two-kilogram bucket of the same commodity going for between 60 t0 65 shillings. Different from the sale of the same commodity in Bungoma, most people here buy maize in large scale with majority of the buyers coming from other counties outside Trans-Nzoia County like Nairobi.
On the other hand, a 90-kilogram bag of maize in Kakamega is retailing at 2800 shillings with a two-kilogram bucket of the same going for 70 shillings. Of these two places, Kakamega seems the perfect market for maize sellers while Kitale is best for buyers.
Beans
A 90-kilogram bag of beans is selling at 6000 shillings in Kitale and at 8000 shillings in Kakamega. A two-kilogram bucket of the same commodity is retailing between 150 and 160 shillings in Kitale while in Kakamega is retailing between 160 and 200 shillings.
Omena
These are the small fish known as dagaa among the Swahili and very common on the Kenyan fish market. In Nairobi, a small bag of 50 kilograms was selling between 4000 and 5000 shillings on wholesale while the selling between 6000 and 7000 on retail. In Kisumu, the home of the same, on Nyalenda Market, the small kings of the waters are going for between 3000 and 3500 on wholesale with ironically in some places in Kisumu the price equalling to that is Nairobi.
Off the Cuff
In other general market news, residents of Mlango Kubwa and Karambee estates along Juja Road in Nairobi are planning to stage major demonstration this week if the County Government of Nairobi will not move to collect heaps of smelly garbage along the road. Juja Road has three illegal dumping sites; one near Pangani Girls High School, the next one at Mamba Petrol Station and the third one near Karambee Stage, some 100 metres from Mlango Kubwa.
Article by Juma Fred.