How ready food goes to waste in Kenyan towns

Julius Kinyua, a trader at Toi market in Kibera sorts overripe and rotten bananas heaped in one corner of his stall. His business has suffered greatly from poor post-harvest handling. [Nanjinia Wamuswa, Standard]

In the heart of Toi market in Kibera, Julius Kinyua is busy collecting overripe and rotten bananas heaped in one corner of his stall. He fills two small blue basins and slowly walks towards a nearby compost pit and empties the rotten bananas.

“I bought bananas worth Sh45,000 from Meru over a week ago to sell them here. So far, l have sold bananas worth Sh25,000, and I have thrown away rotten ones worth Sh5,000. It is a setback,” he says.