Delayed Rains Forcing Households to Pay more for Food Commodities

Food prices are set to increase in the coming days as a result of delayed long rains across the country according to the latest update by the Kenya Meteorological department.

Taps are also expected to receive very little water and in Nairobi, households have been alerted of the upcoming water rationing by Nairobi Water company in a move to sustain the available water to last longer before start of long rains.

“Based on the current conditions and the projected weather conditions, dry conditions are expected to dominate most parts of the country, leading to further deterioration of food security and water resource,” said the Weatherman on Tuesday.

With the recent increase on fuel prices, the cost of food items will automatically be affected in addition to the ongoing dry season thus Kenyans have to toughen up and dig deeper to be able to have food on their tables.

The rise in food items has already started to be felt with as transport cost have slightly increased even as the Easter Season approaches with food vendors disclosing that commodity prices have also slightly been affected.

Three leaves of Sukuma wiki around areas in Nairobi are being sold for 10 shillings with two tomatoes going for 25 shillings.

A two-kilogram packet of maize flour is retailing at an average of 115 shillings after millers increased prices attributing the increase to shortage of maize across the country. According to data by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), the same amount of flour retailed at an average 85 shillings in February.

In its Economic Update, the World Bank warned that a delayed rainy season could affect Kenya’s planting cycle and in turn result in poor harvests.

Kenya is not only the only country experiencing delayed rains but the East African region as a whole has been affected thus resulting in increased prices of cereals and other staple foods to unusually high levels, posing a heavy burden to households and special risks for pastoralists in the region.

According to the Famine Early Warning Systems Networks (FewsNet) of the American agency, the long rains normally experienced in Kenya between March and May have been delayed by the tropical cyclone, Idai.

The agency noted that the cyclone redirected moisture away from the East African region hence the delayed rains.

FewsNet however affirmed that above average rains should be anticipated from May through August in uni-modal, surplus-producing areas of Western Kenya and the Rift Valley.