Residents of Kikuyu, Kiambu County are crying foul over the significant increase in tomato prices during the rainy season.
Some say the commodity has become unaffordable despite some of them being rotten and of very poor quality.
Joyce Njeri, a mother of four revealed says that she has been forced to abandon the commodity since she cannot afford to buy tomatoes on a daily basis. She says she has been forced to use spices as an alternative for tomatoes.
On the other hand, tomato traders in the area are similarly complaining of low sales saying customers were buying in few quantities while others stayed away from the tomato market.
Mama Wangare, a tomato trader said they are forced to travel to neighbouring counties in search of tomatoes which sometimes are few.
She added that the wholesale prices have also skyrocketed from the usual Sh3,500 per crate to Sh5,500 of the same quantity. She however hopes that the rains will soon subside so that normal prices can resume.
At the Kikuyu Market, one kilogram of tomatoes was trading at Sh80 on Wednesday up from Sh30 two months ago.
Some traders say the rains have affected the quality of tomatoes with many of them rotting in the farms. However, some were impressed with the reduction in the prices of sukumawiki, cabbages, onions and carrots.
At the same market, a kilo of sukumawiki reduced from Sh20 to Sh10, that of carrots reduced to Sh30 from Sh50 while onions reduced to Sh60 from Sh70 per kilo.
Traders said the rains helped considerably to increase supply in the farms and the market leading to a reduction in the prices of many commodities.
Cyrus Kibe, a vegetable trader, said the rains were a blessing since there has been adequate supply of the commodities and still much more in the farms. They hoped to see more reduction in prices of all commodities due to increased supply.