Cost of living expected to bite harder
Fears are high that the cost of living in Kampala may overwhelm urban dwellers are high following an increase in prices of food and other basic necessities.
Vendors in fresh food markets report increases in price that suspect may not return to the lows they were at a month back, due to an expected increase in the price of petroleum products.
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Survival in Uganda's capital Kampala is slightly getting uncomfortable for many city dwellers
Even when assume that the cost of housing and other expenses remain static, just like the living wage of an ordinary person, the cost of living is increasing by the day … starting from as small as a meal .
In Nakasero Market ,prices of essential commodities and fresh food have been on a steady rise since last month.
Prices of beans have increased from shs3500and shs4000 last month to between shs4500 and shs5000 currently .
Since more cooking gas or charcoal would be required to prepare beans , the default choice for urban dwellers is meat.
Even those who sell it are decrying the high prices at the abattoirs.
"We have not yet increased the meat price per kilogram yet at we also get it at a high price .That is why our prices remain at shs15,000 per kilo," Ali Makumbi, a butcher says.
Just a few metres away from Makumbi’s butchery , is Shamirah Bashir who sells chicken
She says that off -layers and broilers have seen an increase in price.
“ We have been purchasing off-layers at shs20,000 and selling them for shs23,000 , but now , we buy them at shs23, 000 to sell them at shs25, 000 ."
She added that “ Broilers that previously went for shs15,000 now go for shs17, 000."
Spices like onions and tomatoes are dramatically increasing in price as a box of tomatoes that previously went for between shs650,000 and shs700,000 now goes for shs800,000.
Vendors say that with the shs100 excise duty tax per litre prices may keep going up further tightening the noose on your pockets.
