Nairobi Back To Life After Days of Playing Ghost City

Nairobi is back to life and beaming with a beehive of activities after close to 10 days of being a ghost city.

Towards the end of 2017, thousands of Nairobi residents thronged upcountry for both Christmas and new year festivities.

During the period, the streets of Nairobi remained almost empty, traffic jams disappeared and most business premises remained closed.

From the 2nd of January, however, most city dwellers started jetting back and now the streets are full and the traffic jams are back like nothing happened.

Businesses are however still low with an exception of the transport sector whose owners are making a kill for the money.

Thousands of passengers who had gone upcountry are struggling to find their way back to various towns and as a result, bus fares have more than doubled in most areas.

By close of business on Wednesday, passengers from Kakamega were paying between 2,400 and 3,000 shillings to Nairobi from the normal 800 or 1,000 shillings.

Bookshops are also making a booming sale as schools resumed on 2nd of January. Most bookshops across the country and within the city have recorded increased sales despite the government’s announcement that it would be supplying books directly to schools.

School uniforms are also selling like hotcakes as parents whose children are set to join form one from 4th of January struggle to beat the last minute rush. Parents have complained of the skyrocketed prices for school uniforms.

The year, however, has started with sad news for lovers of ugali as the government, through the Ministry of Agriculture announced the end of subsidized maize flour supply.

According to the Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture, Willy Bet, the market forces will dictate the prices of unga from the next one week.

He said, Kenyans should expect prices to move as high as 120 shillings per 2- kilogram packet from the current 90 shillings.