800g Bar Soap Hits Kshs. 230 On Shelves, As Commodity Prices Continue to Soar

800g of Jamaa Cream Bar Soap is now retailing highest at 230 shillings at Naivas supermarket, up from about 180 shillings two weeks ago, and cheapest at Carrefour shopping outlet at 214 shillings.

The KNBS data on Consumer Price Index in May 2022 shows that consumers paid an average of 153.7 shillings in May 2022, an increase of slightly over a fifth compared to 122 shillings in May 2021,

Meanwhile, five hundred grams of detergents retailed at an average of 192.9 shillings compared to 165.5. shillings.

A 500g of Toss Detergent powder is retailing at 185 shillings while the 1kg container is 335 shillings at Naivas supermarket.

The increased cost of Palm oil, which is used to manufacture detergents and cosmetics, largely explains why you have been paying more for bar soap and laundry soap over the last few months.

Apart from, bar soap and laundry soap whose prices have shot to the roof, shopping across the country has turned into the most antagonizing task, with the cost of almost all essential commodities skyrocketing beyond the pocket size of the ordinary Kenyan.

The item that has burrowed the deepest hole in the pockets of Kenyans and has even been a butt of jokes on social media is cooking oil. Five liters of cooking oil in the major shopping outlets are selling at an average of 2,150 shillings compared to around 1,500 shillings in May 2022.

Currently, five liters of Fresh Fri cooking oil is retailing at 2,014 shillings, more than double its price in 2020. Brands like Captain Cook, Rina, and Rinsun are retailing at 2,580 shillings, 1980 shillings, and 2,530 shillings respectively.

The high cost of cooking oil has pushed up the price of fries in various fast food joints in the city by between 20 and 50 shillings. For those who have not increased the prices, the quantity has been reduced.

According to data from KNBS, a kilogram of edible cooking oil rose by 47 percent year-on-year, retailing at an average of 370.71 shillings in major towns around the country compared to 252 shillings in the same month in 2021.

The retail price of 500 grams of cooking fat also rose by 44.6 percent to retail at an average of 175.9 shillings compared to 121.7 shillings in May 2021.

Another commodity whose price has shot high since the outbreak of Covid-19 and escalated further by the Russia-Ukraine war is wheat.

KNBS data also showed that two kilograms of wheat flour rose by almost a third to an average of 166 shillings in May 2022 as compared to 129 shillings in May 2021.

Before all the market disruptions, a two-kilogram of wheat flour retailed at between 110 and 120 shillings. Currently, the same commodity is retailing at over 200 shillings in most of the supermarkets in Nairobi.

A 400-gram loaf of white bread retails between 55 and 65 shillings, compared to 2021 when the price of a similar loaf of bread was between 41 and 50 shillings.

Prices of rice, sugar, and tissue paper have also increased, with data from the national statistician showing that the cost of living continued to worsen after prices of goods and services increased by 7.1 percent in May 2022, the highest level in two years.

Not to mention the high cost of farm inputs such as fertilizer that has reduced production of commodities such as maize, thus causing shortage amidst growing demand.

A 90 Kg bag of maize has been retailing at an average of 4000 in counties such as Nairobi and Kisumu, and up to the highest of 4300 shillings in other counties such as Kakamega.

A 2kg packet of maize flour is now selling for between 151 and 155 shillings across the country’s major shopping outlets.