Maseno residents who depend on charcoal for fuel are feeling the pinch in acquiring the commodity due to soaring prices. A spot check revealed that all retailers had increased the price by close to Sh 50, compared to three weeks ago. Three weeks ago a tin of charcoal was being sold at Sh 50 and currently it is selling for Sh 100.
A sack of charcoal now ranges between Sh 850 and Sh 1000 from the previous Sh 700 and a number of consumers are finding it hard to cope with the prices. The rise in prices can be attributed to the high demand, which has resulted from the cold season setting in as many people are using charcoal for warming purposes.
“Just because we need charcoal in large numbers does not mean that prices should go up, this is absolutely wrong”, said Esther Okumu, a Maseno resident. Consumers have said that they will be forced to look for alternative fuel means if something is not done very soon. However according to some charcoal dealers, the cost of producing charcoal has risen considering that it is a cold season and they are forced to buy petrol in supplementing the production.