Shoppers at Carrefour clear out stock of cheap cooking oil within two hours

Hundreds of shoppers on Saturday thronged Carrefour Supermarket at Imara Daima to purchase cheap cooking oil during flash sales. A 5-liter jerican of oil was retailing at Sh750 down from Sh1,200. Shoppers took the opportunity to buy as much of the commodity as they could with some carting away as many as 10 jericans. Supermarket staff told Nairobi News that the offer was to last the whole day but the stock has been cleared in less than two hours. [caption id="attachment_234666" align="aligncenter" width="1320"] Shoppers purchase jericans of cooking oil during flash sales at Carrefour Supermarket at Imara Daima, Nairobi. PHOTO | WANGU KANURI[/caption] Prices of foodstuff and most basic commodities, including maize flour and fuel, have in recent months doubled as the Kenyans continue grappling with high cost of living. For the last two weeks Azimio la Umoja - One Kenya Coalition has been staging protests while demanding that the government addresses the high cost of living among other issues. Also read: Sakaja - Political talks won’t lower cost of living Facing the economic realities of harsh weather patterns, disrupted global supply chains, budgetary constraints and a depreciating shilling and rising debt service costs, President William Ruto has revised the time frames within which he had promised to lower the cost of living in the country. And even as the oppositions continues to escalate their protest, President Ruto has assured Kenyans that the government is working towards lowering food prices. [caption id="attachment_234667" align="aligncenter" width="1320"] Shoppers purchase jericans of cooking oil during flash sales at Carrefour Supermarket at Imara Daima, Nairobi. PHOTO | WANGU KANURI[/caption] However, the president has maintained that the opposition protests have nothing to do with the cost of living but rather the outcome of last year's elections. "The riots in Nairobi are not so much about the cost of living. It is so much about election results that are settled. But of course, because of cost of living is a pregnant issue, is an emotive issue, our competitors are trying to take advantage of it but I think the people of Kenya are a lot wiser," President Ruto told DW in Berlin, Germany early this week. Also read: Karua trashes claims of ‘violent attacks on police officers’ during Azimio demo