As Kenyans grapple with the country’s recent dramatic hike in sugar costs, which is wreaking havoc on the hustler nation, shopkeepers have stepped forward to explain the increase.
Unexpected sugar shortages were cited as one of the causes for price increases, which saw a two-kilogram package of the product rise from Sh300 to Sh415 and Sh470 in a week.
According to reports, shops may now buy a 50-Kg bag of sugar for Ksh4,250, up from the initial price of Ksh3,300.
The increased cost is passed on to the consumer, requiring Kenyans to dig deeper into their budgets to purchase in the face of exorbitant living costs.
Furthermore, the Sugar Directorate’s weekly records of sugar stock plummeted by 80% – 4,000 tonnes versus a minimum optimum of 20,000 tonnes to meet the country’s daily demand.
In an earlier news interview, Jude Chesire, Director of the Sugar Directorate, stated that the imbalance was caused by low factory output, despite the government’s decision to waive off-duty imports of the commodity in December 2022.
Chesire stated that the commodity’s price had not decreased despite the importation of duty-free sugar due to the import’s expensive price due to worldwide scarcity and the weak shilling.
Sugar prices rose despite President William Ruto’s assurance to the people that sugar prices will begin to fall following the duty-free importation of 100,000 metric tonnes of brown or white sugar.
Despite the Kenya-Kwanza administration’s efforts, the sugar commodity climbed by 56% in a week, with many Kenyans voicing their anger at the significant increase.
