Living on a shoestring budget

By Mwangi Muiruri

Many ordinary Kenyans say life is fast becoming unbearable owing to the skyrocketing cost of living.

With incomes remaining static, in some cases getting lost, many families are now living on shoestring budgets and even meals are becoming a luxury.

"I blame the Government for failing to control prices," he laments.

He says even the intervention measures that Government occasionally announces are never effected.

"They promised us cheap maize flour. Where is it? They promise to tame oppressive costing especially for basic commodities. They never act," he laments.

Ms Rose Otieno says she is a mother of four and her husband is unemployed and yet two of her daughters are mothers.

"This means I’m the breadwinner. My income gets exhausted before mid-month and I have to live on debts. With Sh500, I can only buy two packets of unga at Sh110, cooking oil worth Sh200 and one kilogramme of sugar for Sh160," she says.

She says her extended family’s commitments are driving her to financial cliff and sympathises with many Kenyans whom she says, "must be living an economic hell."

"For the past three years I have witnessed my house budget shoot by more than 300 per cent, yet, my income is not improving," she says.

We met George Muiruri on his way out of a supermarket clutching a paper bag containing Sh500 shopping.

"You see? Sh500 can only buy five foodstuff items at most. A kilogramme of sugar at Sh165, a packet of unga at Sh100, milk at Sh34 and cooking oil at Sh200. I’m are yet to buy fuel, pay rent and meet other financial commitments. To survive I think I would require a daily income of at least Sh1,000," he laments.

He says his experiences with poor families as they strive to put a meal on the table depict a life "that is hard, short and full of economic pain."

Single mother

"If Kenyans are starving and yet there is food in the market, it tells you the problem is lack of money to make purchases. If 10 million people are starving, it tells you all not well economically," he says.

Ms Judy Molaa is a single mother of two. She says her daily income is Sh200.

She says her transport to work consumes Sh60 on daily basis. That leaves her with Sh100 to budget for house rent, meals and school fees for her two children.

"My breakfast budget cannot exceed Sh20, lunch has to be Sh30 and supper has to be below Sh50. That leaves me borrowing and on some nights washing clothes for families for an extra coin. Life is unbearable," she says.

To survive, she does her shopping in small quantities measures, for instance buying a quarter kilogramme of maize flour and Sh5 vegetables.

She says: "When economic times are like this, issues like balanced diet and eating what you crave for are impossible. You simply eat what is affordable no matter what the quality."

Boaz Akumu’s is no different. He says his family of four requires Sh100 for breakfast, Sh200 for lunch and Sh250 for supper. He says his business is not doing well because of diminished purchasing power.

"This is not a joke. Life has over the past five years become so hard. We are even shunning playing host to any visitors since an additional cost in the house budget is unbearable. If something is not done, crime and immoral engagements will be a way of life," he warns.