A fuel price strike that ended on Tuesday revealed Mombasa's heavy dependence on food supplies from outside the county. Major shortages hit Kongowea market, driving up prices for residents and traders.
The strike, which ran from Monday to Tuesday, kept transporters away from Mombasa over fears their trucks would be attacked or burned. Deliveries from Meru, Taveta and other regions stopped, leaving traders to count losses.
Peter Mutisya, chairman of the banana section, said the market normally receives six to seven banana trucks daily but none arrived in the two days. Veronica Wachira, the market secretary general, noted vegetable trucks fell from up to ten to just one.
The price of a 95-kilogram bag of potatoes rose from about Sh4,500 to Sh8,000, according to Caleb Ndirangu. Transport costs from producing areas such as Molo also jumped from Sh60,000 to Sh90,000 per truck.
