BUSIA, Kenya, Jan 22 – Prices of cereals have nearly doubled in the border town of Busia as traders lament supply shortages.
Some of the products whose cost have gone up include maize, groundnuts, green grams, and rice.
While a 100kg of groundnuts was retailing at Sh15,500 in November last year, it now cost Sh20,000.
Likewise, a 2kg tin of green grams at Soko Matope market goes for Sh350 up from Sh250 in January 2022.
A 2kg tin of beans has shoot from Sh200 to Sh400 in the same period.
Sellers attribute the high costs to scarcity caused by changing weather patterns, expensive transportation costs, and high inflation.
“The rains are not predictable, a factor that affects cereal farming. The situation is further compounded by high cost of fuel to transport the commodity to various markets for the final consumer,” Luke Sunguti, a nut trader at Kasarani market said.
Similarly, a 2kg tin of maize currently costs Sh130 up from Sh80 while a 2kg of rice retails at Sh250 up from Sh200.
Busia residents are scared of disaster as food commodities skyrocket, making foodstuff expensive for many, coupled with other financial pressures.
“The amount of money I have been spending on food has doubled, making it difficult for me to survive throughout the semester,” said the second year clinical medicine student.
Busia County is the gateway to East and Central Africa, with booming business opportunities including food products.
However, tough taxation measures, unstable weather patterns, and inflation have made life unbearable for the majority of the border town’s residents who rely on the food supply chain for their livelihoods.
