Kenya's Wheat Import Delays Threaten to Spike Chapati Prices

Kenyan families may soon face higher prices for chapatis and other wheat-based products due to delays in wheat import approvals. Despite global wheat prices being lower this year, millers in Kenya are warning that delays in issuing C60 import approvals could create a local cost problem.

The C60 is a government control document issued to approved millers, allowing them to import specified quantities of wheat for processing into flour for the Kenyan market. Millers have already committed to buying local wheat at Sh5,100 per 90kg bag, up from Sh4,750, but some approvals are still pending.

A roadside chapati vendor who uses two 2kg packets of flour daily could see their daily flour bill increase by Sh20 if a packet rises by just Sh10. Over a month, that is about Sh600 in additional costs.