Kisumu: Traders and shoppers in Murang’a County are feeling the pressure of rising food prices following a sharp increase in the cost of tomatoes and onions, two of the most commonly used household ingredients. A spot check by KNA at the busy Mukuyu market at the outskirts of Murang’a town indicated that the price of tomatoes has more than doubled in recent weeks, rising from about Sh.40 to between Sh.100 and Sh.120 per kilogram.
According to Kenya News Agency, onion prices have also increased significantly, with a kilogram now retailing at between Sh.150 and Sh.180 compared to the previous price of around Sh.120 to Sh.140. The rising prices have disrupted normal business operations at the Market, with traders reporting reduced sales as many customers cut back on purchases due to the high cost of living.
Vegetable vendors have attributed the shortage mainly to recent heavy rains experienced in major farming areas, which affected production and reduced supply to local markets. Increased transport costs have also been cited as contributing to the spike in prices.
Mercy Wangari, a trader at Mukuyu market, said the situation has become difficult for both sellers and buyers since customers can no longer afford to purchase food items in large quantities. ‘Tomatoes and onions are essential in almost every home, but nowadays customers only buy very small portions because the prices are too high. Some walk around the market and leave without buying anything,’ she told KNA.
Wangari explained that despite the increase in retail prices, traders are not necessarily making higher profits because wholesalers have also raised their prices due to limited supply. She added that many small-scale traders are now forced to reduce the amount of stock they buy, to avoid losses in case the product goes bad before sale.
Consumers who spoke at the market expressed concern over the continued rise in the cost of food, saying it has greatly affected household budgets and forced families to change their spending habits. One shopper, Anderson Munene, said many families are now being forced to reduce the quantity of food they buy every week. ‘In the past, I could comfortably buy enough tomatoes and onions for my family for the whole week but today I can only afford a small amount. The cost of living has really gone up,’ he decried.
Another resident, Jane Nyambura, noted that low-income earners are the most affected because food prices continue to rise, while household incomes remain unchanged. The traders are now calling on the government to intervene by supporting farmers with affordable farm inputs and improving transportation costs in order to stabilize food prices in local markets. They expressed hope that prices will eventually go down once weather conditions improve and supply from farming regions increases in the coming weeks.
