The price of sugar has risen to a new peak.
The change is linked to industry cartels out to mint cash ahead of next year’s general election.
Sugar is now priced at an average of Sh145 per kilo.
At Nakumatt Supermarkets, a kilogramme increased by Ksh 10 from las week’s KSh135
On other supermarkets like Tuskys and Naivas, the same quantity of sugar is priced at Sh135.
The shortage has led to management setting limit on the maximum quantity a client can purchase 2KG.
Letter sent from Nakumatt to branch managers says the decision is informed by the acute shortage of the sweetener in the country.
“Following the prevailing shortage of sugar, please note that prices for this commodity continue to fluctuate every day, we would like to strongly recommend that there should be no bulk purchases of this product, therefore, have the customers understand that we are only doing a maximum of one per shopper,” reads the letter.
The rise in price comes despite some importation of 15,000 tonnes of sugar in this month alone to prevent a shortage that is causing prices to rise beside the 9,000 tonnes imported last month.
The directorate issues permits for importation of not more than 10,000 tonnes every month to supplement local stocks in an ever expanding domestic market.
Locally-produced sugar stocks declined to a low of 5,000 tonnes by close of last week, against the required 9,000 tonnes at any given time, mainly due to poor performance of local millers.