A shortage of sugar is continuing in western Kenya, even tough a huge imported consignment is finding its way into supermarkets, according to the Nation newspaper.
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The sudden disappearance from most supermarket shelves of sugar from leading local millers has further complicated the matter after prices rose sharply from 65 shillings (US$0.85) to 80 shillings a kilo amidst fears of hoarding by wholesalers, the paper said.
A check in most supermarkets in Western Kenya showed no let-up in the crisis, with shoppers being restricted to buying a maximum of two kilos.
But a huge consignment, mainly from Egypt, had found its way into a number of warehouses in Kisumu from where individual supermarkets packaged their sugar for sale.
The Kenya Sugar Manufacturers Association, which sounded a warning against the suspected hoarders that, if found, their contracts would be cancelled.
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By GlobalDataKesma chairman John Rotich called the sudden up-shoot in prices as “regrettable” and appealed to wholesalers and distributors to desist from any acts of hoarding and consider the plight of consumers.
“It is unfortunate that the prices of sugar have once again skyrocketed for no other reason than greed by some unscrupulous distributors and wholesalers seeking to maximise profits by creating artificial shortages,” he said.
The official said the country has enough stock of the commodity especially after the recent release into the market of huge consignments that had been held at the port of Mombasa since last year.
“We, as sellers, are fluid with sugar and the market has now even found a further boost following the release of huge consignments that had been held at the port,” said Mr Rotich.
The Kenya Sugarcane Plantation Workers Union also expressed dismay at the crisis and urged the government to act fast. The union secretary-general Francis Wangara yesterday warned that the shortage would trigger a massive destabilisation of the limping sub-sector if caution was not exercised.
The sudden upsurge in prices comes a month after Agriculture minister Kipruto Kirwa predicted a fall in prices to 50 shillings a kilo following drastic steps taken by his ministry and that of trade and industry to order for the direct purchasing of the commodity from millers.
Reacting to the big price fluctuations last month, Kirwa ordered millers to stagger the servicing of their factories for a period of two months to guard against any shortages in the market.
