Prices of Basic Household Commodities in Kenya Worsening as Time Passes By

Kenyans are currently being faced with a commodity price crisis as far as basic household commodities are concerned.

The common man is the one who feels the pinch of the whole situation as they are the ones on the ground especially in an economy whose inflation stands at 11.48 percent. Lack of employment also contributes to the burden of access to basic needs in the Kenyan households.

The matter, which has brought out a heated debate from a number of concerned bodies across the country calling on President Uhuru Kenyatta to address the issue is currently awaiting being presented in Parliament.

Maize flour, sugar, and milk happen to be on the top list of basic commodities whose prices have greatly increased in the past three months yet they are among foodstuffs that are mostly consumed by households on a daily basis. A 1-kilogram packet of sugar is now retailing at 180 shillings and a 2-kilogram packet of unga is being sold between 180 shillings and 200 shillings. Milk, on the other hand, is retailing at an average of 103 shillings per litre, with a 500ml packet going for between 65 shillings and 70 shillings in various supermarkets, up from 50 shillings recently.

A kilogram of tomatoes is currently retailing at 139 shillings, up from 109 shillings in April while 1 kilogram of potatoes is being sold at 139 shillings, up with 10 shillings in the past one month.

Most household, especially those residing in the urban areas of the country use gas for cooking, which therefore falls under their basic items. A 6-kilogram cylinder of gas, which was being refilled between 600 to 700 shillings in March is currently being refilled at 1,000 shillings.

The president, through the spokesperson of State House spokesperson Manoah Esipisu said that the government is in the process of presenting a supplementary budget to the National Assembly, which reopens, to review budgetary provisions that can cushion consumers. He added that the Government is going to introduce the supplementary budget in the House to address the issue that has progressively assumed a political angle and turned into an election campaign issue.

As a move to help address the high cost of food commodities, the Government has allowed importers to bring in cheap maize and at the same time allowed millers to purchase maize from the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) in efforts to arresting the skyrocketing price of maize flour.