Tomato Prices Still High in Nairobi: Cost of Living

It is now more than two months since the prices of tomatoes went up and residents of Nairobi are likely not to see a reprieve soon.

According to many residents within Nairobi, tomatoes are now becoming a luxury and many are avoiding using them because they cannot now afford.

One tomato is now retailing between 10 to 15 shillings than it was before where two tomatoes used to retail at 10 shillings on open markets.

Tomato vendors are blaming the skyrocketing prices of tomatoes on suppliers who they say are selling them to them at an abnormal prices leaving them with no choice but selling them at high prices in order to make profits.

“We buy them expensively and we have to sell them expensively too if we want to make some extra coins,” said Miss Sarah Wambui, a tomato seller at Kariokor Market in Nairobi.

Kenyans are now finding it hard to afford such simple commodities as tomatoes even as the cost of living continue to scale the heights with the government seeming not to be letting it go in its quest to fund the 2016/2017 budget at all costs.

Last week, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) raised fuel prices by up to 13 percent. That was one of the highest price increase for years. Already manufacturers have threatened to increase prices of commodities for more than five percent. The transport sector has already been affected as travellers feel the heat.

On Thursday last week, Kenyans took on the social media with hashtag #CutCostOfLiving calling on the government to stop overburdening Kenyans by increasing the cost of goods. Through the hashtag, Kenyans expressed their displeasure in the government of today for it seems ignorant about the sufferings of the common man on the streets.

The National Treasury announced the 2016/2017 national budget which was in deficit of more than 700 billion shillings. This meant that the deficit had to be borrowed to fill the gap. Already the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has raised a red flag over Kenya’s borrowing spree which has already passed the 52 average point. The government still insists that it is not yet too late to borrow. Early this month, the government received 60 billion shillings as a loan from China.

As the next General Elections nears, the economy of the country is likely to plunge into more turmoil as it has always been the norm during every electioneering period. Already a tip of what might happen was displayed during the countrywide protests organized by the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) against the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.