Charcoal Prices Up as Ban on Logging Continues to Bite

The prices of charcoal have more than doubled following the ban on illegal logging by the government.

In February, the government imposed a ban on all forms of logging for a period of 90 days, further raising the burden of more than 60 percent households in Kenya that depend on charcoal for cooking and heating.

Across check by the Soko Directory team around Nairobi has shown the increased price of the commodity to as high as by 30 percent in most areas.

In Kariokor market, a four-kilogram tin that was going for between 70 and 80 shillings is now going for between 110 and 120 shillings.

In Eastleigh, the four-kilogram tin is now going for between 120 and 125 shillings, up from 80 shillings a month ago.

The same is being replicated in Kawangware, with the four-kilogram tin going for between 120 and 130 shillings, up from 60 shillings.

Late last month, the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics released its inflation rate for the month of March indicating that the price of charcoal had increased by 27.1 percent, putting the price of a four-kilogram tin at 107 shillings.