A man picks sugar at a supermarket. FILE PHOTO | NMG
What you need to know:
Suppliers in Kilifi and Tana River say they have run out of sugar and are awaiting government supply.
However, according to local officials, the scarcity is artificial due to fear from traders who were now hiding sugar.
The price of sugar has suddenly shot up in Tana River and Kilifi Counties now that the commodity is hard to come by.
The sugar that wholesalers used to buy at Sh3,800 per 50kg bag has now jumped to Sh5,100 for the same.
In Tana River County, a kilo of sugar that sold at Sh95 is currently selling at Sh150 while in Kilifi, retailers say that they will be forced to raise the cost from Sh95 to Sh130 if the trend persists.
A top sugar supplier in Kilifi, Tawakal, says it has run out of sweetener and is awaiting government supply to the market.
In Tana River County, all the main wholesalers have run out of the commodity with only one outlet selling its last bags of Chemelil sugar acquired months ago.
According to Mulki wholesalers in Hola, Tana River County, sugar became scarce a few days after the crackdown on contraband sugar began.
Ahmed Malik, a trader, told Nation that dealers in the county were no longer sure about what to sell as it seemed that the sugar they have been getting is illegal.
"This sugar we have been selling maybe was not genuine because it has just disappeared all of a sudden, and this is just days after the crackdown began. We are out of business, "he said Tuesday.
Fear
However, according to Tana River Deputy County Commissioner Michael Kioni, the scarcity is artificial due to fear from traders who were now hiding sugar while awaiting the right opportunity or selling it secretly.
"This contraband sugar is still hidden somewhere, but we will find it anyway. It cannot just disappear in a day, we know it is being sold secretly...We will find the place," he said today.
Mr Kioni said most traders in town were of Somali descent and that most supplies came from Garissa, where officials suspect the trade may be on a higher scale.
Earlier this month, a truck carrying tonnes of contraband sugar was impounded at Kijipwa road block along the Malindi-Mombasa highway.
Meanwhile, traders continue to secretly sell remaining stocks acquired from dealers as the fate of their business remains uncertain.
