Food supply chain affected as fuel strike bites

At Marikiti Market, traders in the food sector are counting heavy losses following the nationwide two-day public transport strike that began on Monday. [Wanjiku Kariuki, Standard] 

Traders in the food sector are counting heavy losses following the nationwide public transport strike that began on Monday.

Many say the past two days have recorded very low to no customer turnout, significantly affecting their businesses and income as transport disruptions kept many people away from markets.

A visit to Nairobi’s Marikiti Market revealed closed stalls, spoiled goods and frustrated traders counting losses worth thousands of shillings following the two-day matatu strike.

Grace Njoki and Washington Kaguta, who sell mangoes and other fruits at the market, showed spoiled papayas, mangoes, gorgets, and lemons that have changed their color after customers failed to access the market.

They say rising fuel prices have also increased the cost of doing business, making life even harder for traders struggling to support their families.

“An extra Sh20,000 has been added to the transport cost of these goods from Lamu to Nairobi, making doing business even harder for us,” said Grace Njoki.

She says she operates on loans and that the two-day disruption has left her in a difficult position, wondering how she will recover the losses.

“On Monday, I left here with nothing. On a normal day, I sell at least one sack of lemons and make a profit of around Sh2,000, but on Monday, I did not even make Sh10,” she narrated, adding that the two days have left her counting losses of between Sh30,000 and Sh40,000.

Washington Kaguta said mango deliveries meant to arrive at the market on Monday failed to reach due to transport disruptions, leaving traders stranded.

“They tried their best but could not get here. The government should look into the plight of small-scale traders,” he said.

Lazarus Ng'ang'a, an onion trader, also narrated his losses.

“This lorry arrived here on Sunday evening fully loaded. Normally, it takes one or two days to sell all the onions, but by Tuesday, we had not even sold half of them,” he said.

“Someone who usually makes at least Sh20,000 a day has not even made Sh2,000 in two days. The poor are becoming poorer despite promises to support ordinary citizens,” he added.

“On a normal day, I make more than 10,000 shillings, but I have not sold anything in the last two days,” said another onion trader, Dickson Bosire.

At Marikiti Market, traders in the food sector are counting heavy losses following the nationwide two-day public transport strike that began on Monday. [Wanjiku Kariuki, Standard] 

The transport disruptions have affected the entire supply chain, from suppliers to casual laborers commonly known as “beba beba.”

“I normally earn around Sh300 a day, but with the high transport costs caused by rising fuel prices, I have found myself going home with only Sh100 or less in recent days,” said Lucas Kuria, one of the porters.

The past two days have been extremely difficult for small-scale traders who rely on daily business for survival. Many say the situation has greatly affected their families, who depend entirely on the income they make each day.

Meanwhile, the flower industry has also raised concern, saying the strike has disrupted the movement of workers, cargo, and critical logistics supporting Kenya’s floriculture sector.

The industry, which heavily depends on timely logistics and uninterrupted cold-chain transportation for export markets, says the strike has affected farm attendance, delayed cargo movement, and disrupted export timelines.

In a statement, the Kenya Flower Council estimated losses of about Sh200 million due to delayed shipments and the risk of wastage.

“Any prolonged disruption to transport and logistics carries immediate economic consequences not only for exporters, but also for workers, rural communities, supply chain partners, and Kenya’s reputation as a reliable global supplier of flowers,” the council warned.

The council is now calling for urgent government intervention to cushion businesses and workers from the growing impact of fuel instability and transport disruptions.

For many traders, survival depends on daily earnings, meaning every missed business day translates to empty pockets, unpaid bills, and losses from spoiled goods that cannot be recovered.