Narok Senator Ledama Olekina has advised Kenyans to prioritise buying cement over sugar as prices of the later commodity hit an average of Sh210 per kg.
Prices of sugar have doubled since the beginning of the month.
A two-kilo packet of sugar that was in the first week selling at an average of Sh300 is now retailing at Sh420.
"So 2kgs of Sugar is equivalent to a bag of cement? Let’s choose cement over sugar," Ledama said in a tweet on Monday.
A 50kg bag of cement in Nairobi currently retails at an average of Sh620-750 depending on location.
However, some brands are selling the product for as low as Sh600.
In the economies of things, it would mean 50kgs of sugar would cost Sh10,000.
Cement prices had in the previous months shot through the roof to as high as Sh800 in April 2022.
The hike was attributed to a surge in the global prices of coal, a key component in the manufacture of clinker – a key raw material for cement production.
It, however, appears like cement and sugar have switched positions as the latter is now barely unaffordable by most households.
A spot check conducted by the Star on May 16, showed that the cheapest brand of sugar in the supermarket was retailing at Sh189 per one-kilo packet.
