In African communities, greetings are an elaborate ritual; a news bulletin where virtual strangers exchange obituaries, discuss political trends, the weather and the state of their families and livestock.
But you know things are elephant when two people, irrespective of their social class, meet and the immediate topic of discussion is how expensive and tough life has become.
Although the Jubilee government of Kusema na Kutenda recently reined in the runaway prices of unga to Sh90 for the two-kilogram packet, the cost of basic commodities such as sugar and milk is still high. Most Kenyans now survive 100 metres below the poverty line and are left with a lot of month at the end of the money.
Things couldn’t be harder in western Kenya, home of the Mulembe Nation, where babies are weaned on ugali and even carnivorous dogs have learnt to survive on sima and sukuma wiki soup! Soaring prices of sugar and maize flour have forced families to do without tea and ugali. Ironically, even sugarcane farmers in a region with over five sugar companies cannot afford the sweet stuff.
A visit by The Nairobian team to three families in Webuye East and Likuyani constituencies revealed that most families are surviving by the skin of their teeth.
Joan Wafula, a mother of six from Webuye, says that with her meagre daily income and the high cost of living, her family is forced to skip lunch.
“I have a large family which consumes two kilos of flour, which as of last week was going for Sh150, at lunch or supper. Lately, we have been skipping lunch,’’ said the businesswoman at Sango.
She hopes that the government will address the food crisis, noting that crime has been on the increase due to the high cost of living.
“My business is slow and everything is expensive compared to past years,” she complained.
Joseph Wakaya, a father of eight, says his daily income of Sh500 cannot sustain his family at the moment.
“It is ironical that a region that prides itself for maize farming is also struggling with the high cost of living. My large family consumes four kilos of flour daily, which we have had to cut down. I cannot buy bread for the family. I would rather buy a little unga for ugali,” he explained, adding that many are the days when they go to bed hungry.
In Likuyani, Jackline Iminza says the poor are the ones who are mostly affected by the high price of food commodities — and that she has been forced to adjust her lifestyle.
“It is better to increase prices of other goods, but not that of food. We are really suffering because I cannot buy and stock food as was the norm years ago,” she says. The mother of 11 says her children are not in school because she had to make a choice between food and fees.
My children are at home, but I can only afford a breakfast of porridge and supper, says Iminza, who earns a living from washing people’s clothes or working at functions and funerals in the area.
Her plight is all too familiar, even for those in formal employment with modest wages. Cotu boss Francis Atwoli blamed the high cost of living on poor governance and asked the ruling Jubilee Party to put corrective measures in place.
“In every part of the country, Kenyans are crying due to the high cost of living and unemployment. Measures should be in place to curb this in future,’’ said Atwoli.
What has made the situation worse is that the value of money has been seriously eroded by inflation. In days gone by, Sh1,000 was good cash, enough to sort out household needs for an average family for a week or more. But in urban areas, the moment you flash a Sh1,000 note at the kiosk, it’s gone.
Elizabeth Mueni, a mama mboga in Makongeni estate in Nairobi and a mother of three, spends Sh1,000 on food every three days, yet months back, the same cash kept her family going for a week.
“I spend Sh100 on milk and Sh130 on sugar and bread. Come lunchtime, I have to part with another Sh200, and at night, when everybody is at home, I spend Sh300 on food. Unless I forfeit lunch, Sh1,000 can’t even last three days,” she says.
The cost of living has seen the two-kilogramme maize flour rise to Sh160, 500ml milk packet increase to Sh70, two-kilogramme of sugar skyrocket to Sh380, and two kilogrammes of rice jump to Sh240. Likewise, a single tomato now goes for Sh10 with the price of other vegetables doubling.
“If you focus on having a meal with a balanced diet, then that money will not last two days,” says Mueni. Her average monthly income is about Sh18,000, but the food expense eats up over Sh10,000, meaning she has to struggle to meet costs for rent, water and other necessities.
Nancy Adhiambo, a casual labourer who lives alone in Nairobi’s Kaloleni estate, explains that it is not just food that has become unaffordable.
“Getting money is a challenge and everything is so expensive. Water goes for Sh15 and Sh20 for a 20-litre jerrican. To make ends meet, I simply have to skip some meals,” says Adhiambo. James Matindi, a Moi University student in Nairobi campus reveals that his university colleagues skip breakfast and lunch alternatively to survive.
Economist Duncan Otieno says: “Kenyans are not living expensively. It is the cost of basic commodities that has increased beyond the capacity of the common man. The demand for basic household goods has outstripped the supply of the same, thus exerting pressure on the prices.”
To remedy the situation, Otieno says, “We don’t need price controls as suggested by some quarters, but rather deliberate effort to address the structural failures within our agricultural system.”
