Food tops imports as factory supplies, machinery plunge

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Groceries trader in Nyeri town. FILE PHOTO | NMG

Food has emerged as the biggest driver of Kenya’s expenditure on imports with orders for major capital goods falling, signalling a slowdown in key sectors of manufacturing and construction.

Latest official data shows traders splashed a record-high Sh256.76 billion on food imports in the first nine months of the year, partly helped by a waiver on taxes, which was extended by the William Ruto administration to ease prices.

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Note: The results are not exact but very close to the actual.