Policy, governance and personal choices determine cost of living

Cecilia Kerubo displays different types of fruits in Kisii town. Kerubo who sources most of the fruits from Mombasa County says there is less supply of the fruits in the local market pushing up the prices. [Sammy Omingo, Standard]

Last Tuesday I was honoured to get a slot in the ‘hot seat’ in the Situation Room of Spice FM Radio Station. Designed to drive an intelligent discourse on topical issues in the land, the show would easily pass as the most innovative product of the decade within the industry. My brief with the show hosts was to explore the thorny question of the rising cost of living.

While official data projects a robust economic expansion over the Jubilee administration’s era, the undeniable truth is that this growth doesn’t seem to reflect in the majority of our households. I have explored the systemic policy flaws that could explain this anomaly before. Today, we stretch our imaginations further to try to understand the foundational issues driving the cost of living and options available for households.