STORY: Kenyans grappling with high cost of living
SHOOTING TIME: April 4, 2024
DATELINE: April 6, 2024
LENGTH: 00:04:21
LOCATION: Nairobi
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): RUTH WANGARA, Xinhua correspondent
2. various street shots
3. shot of Xn Iraki
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): XN IRAKI, Economics analyst
5. various of Kibera food market
6. various of supermarket shoppers, slum and vegetable vendors
7. SOUNDBITE 3 (Kiswahili): MARTIN MASANGA, Vegetable vendor
8. various of motorists
9. various of petrol station
10. SOUNDBITE 4 (English): DAPHNE TOO, Local resident
11. various of people on street
12. SOUNDBITE 5 (English): XN IRAKI, Economics analyst

STORYLINE:

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): RUTH WANGARA, Xinhua correspondent
"Kenya, alongside other African countries, has been in a state of high inflation rate resulting to high cost of living. This has led to a majority of the population being in financial distress or struggling to make ends meet. This high economic status has impacted the people in different ways."

In a January 2024 report from Infotrak, a research organization in Africa, 73 percent of Kenyans face severe economic challenges, with 18 percent experiencing significant financial distress.

A professor of economics from the University of Nairobi told Xinhua that this economic hardship affects people across all social classes.

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): XN IRAKI, Economics analyst
"Everybody has been complaining about the high cost of living. It doesn't matter whether you are poor, whether you are rich. Everybody says the price of goods, the price of services have gone up. There are few jobs, and they have complained about higher taxes. They have also complained that the economy is not growing as fast as expected. But I have a feeling that that is easing now. So in the last two years or so, the economy had been doing very badly and a lot of people have been complaining."

Ongoing inflation has significantly impacted the food sector, with rising production costs due to scarcities in agricultural inputs like fertilizers and natural factors such as delayed rains.

Martin Masanga, a vegetable vendor in Kibera slums revealed to Xinhua that food prices have hit record highs.

SOUNDBITE 3 (Kiswahili): MARTIN MASANGA, Vegetable vendor
"I've been in business for about 20 years, and while it used to sustain me. Times have drastically changed. Prices for commodities, like the onions I sell, have skyrocketed. Previously, a bag of onions cost 3,000 shillings (about 23 USD), but now it's between 8,000 and 9,000 shillings, and the bags are not even filled as they were before. This poses a challenge because despite purchasing goods at high prices due to the tough economic conditions, it's difficult to sell them as customers seek cheaper options."

The transportation sector has also been severely impacted by the rapid increase in fuel prices since 2020.

SOUNDBITE 4 (English): DAPHNE TOO, Local resident
"We had to buy things at a higher cost. We were struggling daily, because (fuel) price had gone all the way to 220 shillings (1.69 USD) per liter, thereabout. That's quite expensive, but then now the government has been helping us slowly by slowly though it's not where we want it to be."

Professor XN Iraki told Xinhua that the economic crisis isn't exclusive to Kenya; it's a shared experience across the continent, influenced by various global events and factors.

SOUNDBITE 5 (English): XN IRAKI, Economics analyst
"There are a number of factors about why everybody is complaining about the high cost of living. One of them happens to be the price of fuel. In the last two or three years, the price of fuel has gone up because of the conflict in Ukraine, the tensions in Gaza. And any time the price of oil or fuel goes up, that has a ripple effect on the economy, so the price goes up. The other big factor has been the depreciation of the Kenya shilling and African currencies in general. And when the currencies depreciate, or they lose power, that has an effect on inflation."

The professor noted a slight improvement in the inflation rate, offering optimism for Kenya's economic outlook.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Nairobi.
(XHTV)