Kakamega, Kenya: Consumers should prepare for hard times ahead of Christmas following allegations that sugar and wheat millers are planning to increase the prices of the commodities.
Distributors have alleged that millers have declined to sell them the product until next Wednesday. A number of sugar distributors who declined to be quoted for fear of reprisals yesterday said the price of sugar had already been increased following the decision by a section of the millers to withhold the commodity.
The wholesale price of sugar has been increased from Sh75 per kilo to Sh85. The retail price of the commodity, which has been going at Sh110 per kilogramme, has also been increased in a number of supermarkets.
“We went to Western Kenya to purchase sugar at our usual prices only to be told there is no sugar until next week. Even those who wanted to sell had already increased a 50 kg bag of sugar by Sh200,” said a distributor.
He said that wheat flour has also been affected and suppliers plan to increase the price by over 100 per cent. Wheat flour prices are set to increase in anticipation of the Christmas season.
A spot check by The Standard in some supermarkets revealed the stocks of sugar were dwindling by the day with no regular supply, while the price of wheat flour has been on steady increase. A number of millers contacted whom we contacted, however, denied they were hoarding sugar.
By LUKE ANAMI, The Standard
