The price of fresh food items in Kisumu has gone up significantly in the last two weeks after floods destroyed stocks and disrupted the supply chain.
A spot check by KNA showed the cost of sukuma wiki has doubled from Sh3,000 per sack to Sh6,000, while that of spinach has shot up to Sh3,000 per sack up from Sh1,500.
The price of potatoes, which was going at Sh3,000 per sack, has increased to Sh4,000. Traders at major markets in the city are counting losses since the product was not moving.
The price of two kilos of onions has increased to Sh200 from Sh180, while the price of 2kg yellow beans has risen to Sh550 from Sh450.
The price of rosecoco beans has increased from Sh350 to Sh400, while that of Lake Victoria sardines (omena), which retailed at Sh350 per 2kg has shot to Sh500.
Caroline Atieno, a trader at Jubilee market, said flooding which destroyed some of the stalls at the market has led to the shift in prices.
She said the regular delivery of some of the commodities has been affected by the floods that damaged access roads and other infrastructure.
Commodities like potatoes, she said, get to the market when they have gone bad, making it difficult for the traders to sell and make profit.
According to the county government of Kisumu, the floods swept away acres of crops.
Several households in flood-prone areas lost food stocks worth Sh12.7 million.
This has affected food security in the area and is likely to continue influencing the prices of the commodities until the supply is stabilised.
George Odhiambo, a juice vendor at Jubilee Market, said traders have been hit by the sudden change in prices. He urged the government to intervene and cushion them.
The traders, he said, must be given incentives and access to low interest loans to weather the devastating effects of floods.
