Tomato prices in the country have more than doubled since April, with traders warning of further increases.
A spot check by Climate Action at various urban markets across Nairobi and Kiambu counties revealed that prices for the commodity have more than doubled.
In Githurai 44, Nairobi, Sh10 bought four tomatoes in April. Now, three pieces cost Sh25. The same trend holds across Kahawa West, Zimmerman, and Githurai 45.
Wholesale traders who supply local market retailers, known as mama mbogas, are behind the spike.
"A crate weighing 100 kilos is now selling for not less than Sh10,000," Tabitha Wambugu, a mama mboga in Githurai 44, told Climate Action, showing a mobile money transaction. She sources her tomatoes from Githurai 45, where lorries from horticultural-producing zones in the Central region deliver the produce.
Wholesale trader Mary Mugo said farm-gate prices have also risen. A crate of tomatoes now costs between Sh7,000 and Sh9,000. "Before the crate arrives, there are many hidden charges; cess, police fees, county council levies," she said.
The increase has hit urban markets across Nairobi, Kajiado, Machakos, and Kiambu counties.
In Kilimani, Ann Munyeki said she recently bought two large tomatoes for Sh50. "One tomato is Sh25," she said. In middle- and low-income estates, two medium tomatoes sell for Sh25, while a small one costs Sh10–Sh15.
Climate Action weighed the tomatoes: a small one was about 45 grammes, medium 90 grammes, large 175 grammes.
To cope, Munyeki, a single mother of two, has switched to carrots instead of tomatoes.
Jane Waweru, a mama mboga in Ruiru, Kiambu County, has seen customers shift to carrots. “Most of my customers are now buying carrots instead of tomatoes.
So, despite ongoing rains in parts of the country, why are tomato prices still surging?
Agricultural expert Richard Omondi blames the heavy rains. “Traditionally, when rains are heavy enough to cause flooding on farms, production dwindles,” he said.
Most tomatoes are grown in open fields, said Omondi, founder of Agri-Irrigation and Solutions Africa. Open-field crops face hazards during both rainy seasons and drought. “Excessive water, waterlogged soil, and flooding create ideal conditions for tomato diseases — suffocating roots, spreading pathogens, and increasing humidity. This leads to fungal and bacterial outbreaks, ruining fruit and reducing harvests,” he explained.
Such price hikes are common during rainy seasons as farmers salvage what little remains after waterlogging.
Omondi advises horticultural producers to adopt greenhouses, shade nets, and good agricultural practices.
“Through modern technologies, a farmer can achieve over a 95 per cent harvesting success rate,” Omondi said.
He added that rising tomato prices are being felt not only in Nairobi and neighbouring counties, but across Kenya and even in neighbouring nations. “I just returned from Tanzania, and tomato prices have gone up there too. A medium-sized wooden crate is going for Tsh60,000 (Sh3,000) at the farm gate, while a large one sells for Tsh135,000 (Sh7,000). This is a problem affecting the wider East African region due to the rains.”
Farmers warn that if rains continue, prices will rise further, burdening the common mwananchi. “Currently, the farm-gate price of a modified 100-kilo crate is between Sh8,000 and Sh9,000. In the coming days, with ongoing rains, prices may shoot to over Sh14,000,” said Anne Muriithi, a farmer in Mwea, Kirinyaga County.
Large-scale tomato farming in Kenya is concentrated in counties with warm, semi-arid climates favourable for controlling fungal diseases, particularly Kirinyaga, Kajiado, Taita Taveta, and Nyandarua. These areas rely on irrigation to dominate national production, often supplying major urban markets.
