Prices of Cereal Spike As Wheat Hits KSH. 4,300 in Nairobi

Pretty much everything is getting expensive across the country, and cereals are no exception. The prices of all types of flour among other commodities such as rice, wheat, and dry maize among others have shot up.

The price increase has been attributed to inflation and the introduction of cess fee by the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) and the Nairobi City County government on cereals from produces delivered to the city.

The idea behind paying cess was to ensure that the county of origin, which was supplying the produce, collected revenue to improve and maintain its infrastructure and services towards the agricultural sector.

The cess tax touches over 10 million consumers of maize flour and over 30 million consumers of wheat flour all over the country.

Wheat prices have climbed up to the highest level in more than a decade with a bushel trading at 1,924 shillings, up by 7.62 percent – the highest level since 26 March 2008 when it traded at 1,244 shillings.

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A kilo of Wheat sells at 48 shillings in Nairobi and Mombasa while a 90Kg retails at 43oo shillings.

Meanwhile, maize is retailing at different prices across the major towns, with larger parts of Rift Valley such as Usain Gishu county having the least amount of between 2,800 and 3,000 shillings. In Nairobi, the commodity is trading at approximately 4,400 shillings.

In Kisumu, one kilogram of finger millet costs 63 shillings while a 90Kg bag retails at 5670 shillings.

A 90Kg bag of Green grams on the other hand retails highest in Machakos at 11,166 shillings and least in Kitui at 7983 shillings. The same amount is 8,978 shillings and 8,574 shillings in Embu and Tharaka Nithi Respectively.

The table below gives a summary of market prices for different cereals in selected markets across the country: