the past nine months have been the most difficult for me and my  business, and now I don’t have a place to call home, ”said Terresia as she lowered her gaze .

Single mothers like Terresia are the most affected lot. Figures at the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) taken during the last two weeks of November indicate a jump of overall inflation rate to 19.72 per cent up from 18.91 in October 2011.

The result was evident in Supermarkets countrywide. Early last year, two kilogram of maize flour-a staple food in Kenya –stood at Ksh60, the same product now costs Ksh130. Sugar prices also rose by a significant margin to close at Ksh200 per kilogram, a climb from 120 in November 2010.

Though inflation rate was at a low of 3.8 per cent in November 2010, experts predict a further acceleration of Commodity Price Index in the near future. Among other factors, the continued poor performance of world markets, high cost of fuel, anxiety caused by the Arab uprising are believed to be the driving forces behind the continued increase in the cost of living.

For Terresia who now lives with relatives in Eastleigh, this holiday season is a far cry from any she experienced in the last two years. Having two meals a day, she says , is a privilege and appeals to the government to establish food stamps centers for the evicted slum dwellers that includes KPA, Embakasi Manyattas that were razed.

“I make Ksh150 on a good day which is barely enough for dry food, how can I cook without cooking oil? Paraffin for the lamp,” quips the 49-year old as she leads her youngest son from the crowded roadside of Eastleigh 12 Street.

Mitumba slum was established in the early 80’s and then 18-year-old Terresia took over the grocery store business to help her ailing mother. In those days, Ksh500 would support the family of four for a period of 20 days she says.

That is a stark contrast to the skyrocketing basic commodity prices that is currently rocking and starving millions of people in the country.  Already, 3 million children mainly in Eastern, Coast and North Eastern Province are in facing malnutrition and food deficiency diseases.

A Marketing Executive at a local advertising agency in Nairobi, Ms Sheila Chieng feels the pinch of the galloping commodity prices. Travel, she says, was always part of her small family’s plan for the holidays, but she is having second thoughts.

“Hotels are very expensive, and untamed inflation is eroding my purchasing power, I will just have a small party at my house as we celebrate Christmas and usher in the New Year, I have to save for my son’s school fees,” notes the mother of one.

Similar sentiments were echoed by third year IT student at the University of Nairobi, Ms Evelyn Wasia who works as a part-time Graphics Designer at a publishing firm. Maintenance handouts from her parents have gradually reduced and the Ksh8, 000 she makes has helped meet her basic needs.

Even so Vinnitsa Rose Tata had this to say: “It really hurts me so much that I work so hard everyday to try and an sufficient funds to keep me and my three children going, but at every month end when I go to do shopping for food and household essential goods, the Kshs. 1000 is becoming more and more useless, because I come back home with lesser and lesser items.”

Mrs. Tata who works for a private firm as an administrative officer says in the city says that the high cost of essential commodities in view of the low incomes was exerting excessive pressure on households, threatening the very fabric of families because the heads of the households can’t make ends meet hence leading to un-necessary tensions.

“The pressure comes right from the children all the way, because they will demand for something from me as a mother or my husband as a father. Things that they were used to and took for granted, but now because we cant afford them, we look at each other helplessly and the kids will not understand because they know Dad and Mum work and always have money, yet its not there and if there is not enough,” she said. The run-away inflation has since seen housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels’ index spiral up by 1.55 per cent during the review period. The rise was attributed to continued increases in the cost of electricity, house rents and cooking fuels.  This is according to a report posted on the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) website.

Equally, the transport index increased by 2.19 per cent between October and November 2011 due to continued increases in the costs of petrol, diesel, taxi charges and matatu/bus fares. The National average prices of petrol and diesel per litre have gone up by 29.44 and 27.07 per cent, respectively, compared to the same month last year.

Although higher fuel adjustment charges continued to push the cost of electricity upwards, there was a decline in the forex adjustment charge per KWh from KSh 2.74 in October to KSh 2.62 in November 2011. The cost of cooking gas, kerosene and charcoal went up by 7.01, 5.40 and 4.33 per cent, respectively, over the same period.

In bid to repress runaway inflation, the Central bank of Kenya has been sharply raising interest rates since the start of October and its benchmark rate now stands at 16.5 percent.

Several rate-setting monetary policy meeting is expected with analysts predicting the central bank to leave rates unchanged. Analysts said the aggressive rises in interest rates had yet to be reflected in prices. This is according to a Reuter’s poll.

Ends

ENDS

INFLATION RISE, MONTH BY MONTH STATISTICS

Nov-2010 107.86 3.84

Dec-2010 109.38 4.51

Jan-2011 110.57 5.42

Feb-2011 112.05 6.54

Mar-2011 114.62 9.19

Apr-2011 118.29 12.05

May-2011 119.48 12.95

Jun-2011 120.91 14.49

Jul-2011 122.44 15.53

Aug-2011 123.97 16.67

Sep-2011 125.23 17.32

Oct-2011 127.20 18.91

Nov-2011 129.13 19.72

SOURCE: KNBS