Panic buying began last Friday in Nairobi as Kenyans prepared for a closely contested presidential election on Tuesday.
Despite government assurances that the August 9 polls will cause no major interruptions in supplies, people appeared to be stockpiling, as seen by the bare shelves seen on many grocery shelves.
Many people were coming to supermarkets and retail outlets in Nairobi to stock up on longer-shelf-life food products like as maize flour, rice, milk, sugar, and cooking oil, according to a spot check.
According to retailers and shoppers, the rush by city residents to stockpile groceries has resulted in a scarcity of supplies, including the subsidised maize flour, which sells for Sh100 per two-kilo package.
“We are stocking up even though we do not expect that there will be any disruption. It is just a matter of being on the safe side,” said David Kimondo, a father of two, while shopping at a retail store within the Two Rivers Mall.
However, weak economic activity has constrained emergency stocking measures by some Kenyans.
“I have only managed to buy a few essentials like cooking oil, maize flour and rice because I do not have adequate cash,” said Mary Wambui, a mother of three who shopped at a supermarket in Nairobi’s central business district (CBD).
Long queues were also witnessed in the grocery markets in Muthurwa and Marikiti fresh produce markets as shoppers bought cereals. Fuel stations also received an increased number of customers looking to stock up on cooking gas.
Kenya’s elections have often been characterised by unrest and violence, most notably in 2007 and 2017, costing businesses billions of shillings in lost earnings and damages. Some retailers, however, linked the shopping frenzy to school closure and mandatory holidays ahead of the polls.
