As the 'day of love', approaches, flower vendors are usually preparing their stalls with all the red roses but this year things are not going as usual.
- The high cost of the bouquets will now see one stem which was being sold at Sh20 rise to Sh50.
Image: Margaret Wanjiru
Do you expect to receive flowers from a loved one this Covid Valentines day?
As the 'day of love' ,February 14, approaches, flower vendors usually prepare their stalls with red roses but this year things are unusual.
A spot check at Nairobi's City Market showed that most flower vendors were just dealing with normal orders and have not yet started getting orders for Valentines.
Francis Kimani, who has been selling flowers for the past 23 years said the high cost of prices has made him not order the flowers yet as he is not sure there will be high demand.
“I am not sure I can really bank on booming business this year as I understand the cost of living is high currently and people are still suffering from the economic effects of Covid-19, 'watu watanunua maua ama unga'(will people buy flowers or flour,” said Kimani.
I use to get a bouquet of the red flowers at Sh150-200, now it has shot up to Sh500, therefore this valentines will be an expensive oneFrancis Kimani
Kimani also noted that the cost of the flowers has really gone up.
“I use to get a bouquet of the red flowers at Sh150-200, now it has shot up to Sh500, therefore this valentines will be an expensive one.”
The high cost of the bouquets will now see one stem which was being sold at Sh20 rise to Sh50.
For the yellow bouquets, the cost has increased from Sh80 to Sh200.
Just next to Kimani's shop sits Mercy Nyambura preparing some red stems for sale for her stand.
“I am very optimistic about this Valentines, despite the hard times we have faced in the flower business I always wake up with hope for good business,” said Nyambura.
Moses Kiarie says he is psychologically prepared for Valentines business but not materially prepared.
“There has been a shortage of flowers where I source them from therefore I am waiting to see how it will be on Friday and Saturday before the main day on Sunday,” said Kiarie.
Kiarie also said that the suppliers from the various sources of flowers in the country such as Naivasha, Muranga, Kitui, are mainly exporting their produce therefore local vendors are getting limited supply.
According to a new national survey, high cost of living tops the list of concerns among Kenyans with a majority saying they cannot meet basic needs.
The National Political Opinion Poll conducted by Radio Africa Group between January 28 and February 5 shows 78 per cent of the respondents cannot afford basic needs, pointing to tough times.
Most people are dissatisfied with President Uhuru Kenyatta's economic performance record with a majority asking him to end the curfew to enable a 24-hour economy.
Kenyans have been faced by hard economic times, since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in March last year.
According to the quarter two Labour Force Report by the KNBS, at least two million people were rendered jobless by the pandemic, doubling the country's unemployment rate to 10.4 per cent from 5.2 per cent.
The rate of inflation in January rose to 5.69 per cent up from 5.62 per cent in December on account of high food costs, this is expected to rise higher in February with the increase in global oil prices..
As we approach the day of love, despite the hard economic times, take time to appreciate your loved ones with whatever little you have.