Food prices soar in Garissa as floods affect transportation
By Issa Hussein |
Several vendors selling fresh produce near her stall have closed their businesses due to the high costs of delivering fruits and vegetables from Kiambu County.
Food prices have surged in Garissa town over the past week, exacerbated by ongoing floods along the River Tana that have made the Kona Punda section of the Garissa-Nairobi highway impassable.
The prices of fresh vegetables and eggs have doubled, attributed to the increased costs of boat transport, according to some traders who managed to supply these commodities.
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Fatuma Ibrahim, a vegetable vendor at Garissa Soko Mugdi market, noted that prices have skyrocketed, with customers struggling to buy supplies as shortage bites.
"I am now selling a crate of eggs for Sh600, up from Sh300, and a kilogram of potatoes has increased from Sh70 to Sh130," said Fatuma.
She said the local farmers who previously supplied them with vegetables and fruits are unable to do so since their farms were submerged.
A trader selling eggs at Garissa Soko Mugdi market. (Photo: Issa Hussein)
Several vendors selling fresh produce near her stall have closed their businesses due to the high costs of delivering fruits and vegetables from Kiambu County.
Retail shop owners who managed to restock their empty shelves also increased prices of food items including sugar, wheat, and rice.
Mohamed Hassan, a wholesaler in Garissa, explained that the price hikes are a result of the longer routes they must take to transport their commodities from Nairobi, passing through Isiolo and Meru counties.
"We are now paying double in transportation costs compared to when the Garissa-Nairobi and Garissa-Mombasa routes were accessible," Mohamed said.
He dismissed rumours of hoarding goods due to the transport crisis, noting that traders like himself can provide receipts for goods purchased and explain the necessity of the price increases.
Mohamed further clarified that the current situation differs from past occurrences like the El Nino rains, as traders now have alternative routes such as the Madogashe-Isiolo route and Madogashe-Meru road to access Nairobi.
Supermarket owners interviewed by The Eastleigh Voice last week lamented how panic buying by Garissa residents had emptied their shelves and highlighted the costly nature of alternative routes to Nairobi.
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