The ongoing heavy rains in Kisii county have led to price increases of basic horticultural products on retail markets in the region.
Customers are being forced to pay more with three tomatoes going for Sh20 unlike before when such an amount could fetch one triple the number.
Greengrocers attribute the high prices to the shortage of the commodity in the wholesale markets in Kisii town which they claim has been occasioned by the heavy rains.
According to Jemimah Mogotu, a grocer at Kisii market the grocers have been forced to increase the price of tomatoes because the product is scarce on the fresh produce wholesale market.
She also said some traders were unable to deliver their horticultural products from the interior areas to the KisiiTown market owing to challenging transport logistics.
“We normally get some tomatoes from the farmers in the interior but we hear shorter routes to Kisii have been cut off by the raging rains”, said the grocer.
Meanwhile, grocers have complained of unfavorable weather conditions for fresh peppers that have caused the price hike.
The common spice is also going to waste as vendors claim the rainy weather makes the capsicums more perishable.
“On sunny days these peppers used to remain fresh for almost a week unlike now where they spoil within a day once they come into contact with the rainwater," she added.