Kampala people buy and stock food in fear of price hiking

As the numbers of #COVID-19 cases increase to 44, Ugandans are busy shopping and stocking food stuffs in fear that prices will hike in months to come.

According to Junior Kabangira, a wholesale businessman in Kamwokya, people are preparing for future, since everything in Kampala is becoming tougher.

“You see president announced the curfew, so now whoever has money, they buy and stock their food because time will come when the money you have in house won’t help you at all.” Kabangira said.

Kabangira further says, most of the things they sell come from far, now that many people fear moving because of Coronavirus, it will bring shortage of food which is likely to make prices go high, so people are stocking food to avoid those moments.

Philemon Mujuni the food stuff supplier says all the people are worried of the sickness, they know that time will reach when the president shall tell the people to stay in their houses, not even getting out of their houses.“Last time president said no one should be moving after 7 pm, even us who supply food to the retail shops, we are always very busy now days because the demand and supply is very high “says Mujuni.

Jimmy Mbabali, the Vice Chairperson Kisenyi 2, Kamwokya, one of the highly populated slums says when president directed the curfew and since the modes of transport are limited, people have to buy enough food and stock in their houses to be on safe side.

Joseph kakooza Sande the Chairperson Mulimira zone Kamwokya, said ordinary people are  badly off even in these few days they have been stopped from working and that impacts on their living.

Kakooza says that people suspect in few days there will be no more movements, so if a person cannot walk to buy food from markets like Kalerwe, then this is the time, they are buying those foods they think will take them for good months ahead.

According to the situation at hand, there is a possibility that the food supply from different parts of the country will reduce. This is because most people in this business could send trucks of foods and they get onto public or private means of transport to come to Kampala transact, and they could use the same means to get back to their villages.