Households are driving hard bargains to reduce the runaway monthly food budgets. 

The strategies include buying cheaper foods like posho mill flour, exploring more affordable markets, buying in smaller quantities and purchasing from wholesalers.

“I used to buy maize flour from the shop, but now I opt for the kisiagi flour which I use to cook both porridge and ugali–it’s more affordable,” says Veronica Akinyi, 38, a housewife.

Catherine Mwende, 46 a businesswoman who runs a small grocery/ cereals store, says her regular customers are now buying smaller quantities of essentials like rice and sugar. 

“They used to buy in bulk, but now they’re being cautious about their spending,” she says.

Richard Munoko, who also owns a small grocery shop in Nairobi, says he has had to cut back on his stock.

“I used to stock all sorts of items, but now I only have the basics.”  

To save money, Patrick Kimonyi, a 42-year-old self-employed businessman, now harvests his maize and vegetables instead of buying them. 

“I used to do my shopping in Nairobi that includes vegetables and maize, but now I have to reconsider that. I harvest my maize and vegetables. I don’t buy flour from the shop or markets instead I go for the posho mill rather than purchasing kilo of maize flour at Sh220,” says Kimonyi.

He has also minimised buying commodities unless necessary.

“Right now I take bread without blue band/ margarine. I also eat leftovers as my breakfast.”

Households are also buying goods in bulk and dividing them amongst friends.

“I buy dry foods in bulk with friends and divide it amongst ourselves to reduce costs. My roommate and I have also chosen to make pocket-friendly food by substituting meat with more legumes and greens. We have reduced our consumption of meat to once a week. I would buy meat in small quantities for Sh150,” says Ciku Mwangi, 35.

More people have begun carrying food to work instead of buying from kibandas which have also increased their food prices.

Somboriot Kipchilat, 32, a photographer, admits that he makes more home-cooked meals than he used to which has reduced the amount of money he spends on restaurants and eateries and various food delivery apps such as Jumia Food or UberEats. 

“There are days I would like to eat something different but when I leave work I remind myself that there is food at home,” he adds.

Mr Somboriot also found that buying items from wholesale stores or in bulk has saved him much more.

“If you calculate the cost of buying one or four tissue paper rolls against buying 30 rolls wholesale, you would save so much more by buying wholesale,” he said.

The purchase of clothes has also become a luxury. The low spending has taken its toll on Samuel Muraya’s business, as he notes a significant decrease in the number of customers visiting his clothes boutique.

“Where we used to see 30 to 40 customers a day, we now only see between 15 and 20,” says Mr Muraya, a 29-year-old.