List of counties spending most of their income on food; KIPPRA report
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KIPPRA report reveals that Western and Nyanza counties spend 60 percent of their income on Food
KIPPRA report reveals that Western and Nyanza counties spend 60 percent of their income on Food.
According to the Kenya Economic Report 2023, which was released on Thursday by the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA), residents of these regions spend two-thirds of their income on food, compared to less than half in big cities like Nairobi.
In its analysis, KIPPRA stated that this is a concerning trend because these areas are predominately agricultural in nature and are anticipated to have enough access to food.
The KIPPRA report specifically identified Migori, Homa Bay, Siaya, Busia, Bungoma, and Kakamega as the counties where residents spend more than 60 percent of their income on food.
“The high cost of food is attributed to the cost of transport, drought, and increase in farm inputs,” KIPPRA said in its statement.
The report further pointed out that Trans Nzoia, Kisumu and Vihiga residents spend more than 50 percent of their income on food.
“This calls for putting in place drought response mechanisms, climate change mitigation, provision of farm inputs, and support of smallholder farming,” KIPPRA recommended in its report.
On the other hand, Nairobi, Mombasa, Kiambu, and Kajiado counties spend less than half of their income on food expenses according to the report.
Turkana County recorded the highest food expenditure in the country, standing at 76.2 percent of residents’ income, followed closely by Wajir at 71 percent.
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In summary, the data reveals that food prices constitute over half of the total expenditure in the country, with this figure increasing to over 60 percent in arid and semi-arid regions.
“Interestingly, the value of food expenditure in rural areas was much more than their counterparts in urban areas,” the report pointed out.
The Economic Report highlights a disparity: rural working Kenyans allocate 60 percent of their income toward food, even though many are involved in farming activities. In contrast, urban residents spend 48.8 percent of their income on food.
KIPPRA attributed this trend to the fact that urban dwellers may benefit from higher disposable incomes and access to more affordable food options.
The think tank noted that a further possibility would be that urban individuals’ food budgets are constrained by competing expenses.
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