Is there a shortage of tomatoes in Nairobi? What about eggs? Is there a shortage too? How much is a tomato retailing at your place?
Well, at Allsopps (Outering Road) and the whole area near Naivas Supermarket, one (good) tomato is retailing between 20 and 25 shillings from just 5 shillings two months ago.
An onion, at the same place, is retailing between 10 and 15 shillings, from 4 onions at 10 and 20 shillings two months ago. “The prices will be much higher soon,” says one trader in Allsopps.
At Ngara Fig Tree market, the price of fresh tomatoes is also as high as that at Allsopps. One tomato at the market is going for 25 shillings (some traders at the same market will sell it you at 15 or 20 shillings).
Residents in Kasarani are reporting of a tomato going for between 10 and 15 shillings while a tray of eggs (kizungu) going for 360 shillings and that of Kienyeji at 360 shillings.
At Pangani and Mlango Kubwa (on your way to Eastleigh), a tomato is retailing between 15 and 20 shillings with most retailers selling an onion at an average of 10 shillings.
At the same time, the price of eggs has been rising since December 2019. In Allsopps, a crate of eggs (kizungu) is retailing between 390 and 420 shillings from just 270 and 330 shillings. A crate of other eggs (kienyeji) is going for 780 and 830 shillings from 600 shillings in November.
Prices of tomatoes are cheaper in Kiambu Town (outside Nairobi) with residents reporting 3 tomatoes going for 25 shillings. A crate of eggs in the same town is at 340 shillings while kienyeji is at 460 shillings on average.