Christmas, once synonymous with travel and lavish feasts, is increasingly becoming a season of careful planning and creative budgeting.
For Martha Wambui, Christmas this year will look very different from the festive seasons she grew up knowing.
The familiar journey upcountry, the crowded matatus and the reunion with extended family in Gatundu, Kiambu County are all on pause.
Instead, the mother of three will mark the festive season from her home in Roysambu, Nairobi, armed with a carefully calculated budget of Sh3,000 and a firm resolve to give her children a joyful Christmas.
“If I travel, it will be after the festivities calm down. I have done the arithmetic and realised I can still commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ right here in the city,” she shares.
As the cost of living continues to soar, Wambui’s decision reflects a growing reality for many urban families. Rising food prices, high transport costs, school fees pressures and general household expenses have forced households to rethink long-held traditions.
Christmas, once synonymous with travel and lavish feasts, is increasingly becoming a season of careful planning and creative budgeting.
“With as little as Sh3,000, I will treat my children well,” Ms Wambui says.
At first glance, the figure seems impossibly low for a family of four. But Ms Wambui insists that with discipline and smart choices, it is doable.
Aprons, and the labour of Christmas; a Christmas meal underway. For countless women, the festive season is not a holiday and when the food is ready, the order of service is already decided.
Her secret lies in prioritising essentials and cutting out anything that feels extravagant.
A chicken will not be missing from her Christmas menu.
“That solves the meat puzzle,” she notes.
In Nairobi’s open-air markets and estates, ex-layers are selling for as low as Sh800 per bird—the option she will go for.
“For me, chicken is special enough for Christmas. It does not have to be expensive to feel festive,” she explains.
Chapatis will accompany the meal, not as a daily staple, but as a treat reserved for special occasions. A two-kilogramme packet of wheat flour, priced between Sh150 and Sh200, will be sufficient for her children.
“If I am not doing mandazis or other things, chapatis alone will do,” she adds.
Cooking oil is another must-have. A litre currently retails at about Sh300 from ATM-dispensed outlets. Ms Wambui plans to buy two litres, enough to last through the festivities and beyond.
Rice, another Christmas favourite, is also on her list, with the cheapest brands selling at around Sh200 per kilo in most supermarkets.
Festive meal
“That will be enough for my three children; a girl and two boys,” she says.
No Kenyan festive meal feels complete without a kitoweo. For this, Ms Wambui will rely on affordable staples from Nairobi’s markets: a two-kilogram container of potatoes at Sh150 and a cabbage for Sh50. These will add variety and ensure a balanced meal.
After tallying all the major items, Ms Wambui estimates she will still have about Sh1,000 left from her Sh3,000 budget. This remainder will go toward ingredients such as tomatoes, onions, spices and a few refreshments.
“A two-litre bottle of soda is about Sh190,” she explains, noting that small treats like soda help make the day feel special for children.
Ms Wambui’s plan is not unique. Across Nairobi, many families are arriving at similar conclusions: Christmas does not have to be expensive to be meaningful.
Ms Peninah Wairimu, a mother of one from Nyeri County and living in Nairobi, has chosen to stay in the city this season.
“Instead of chicken, I will go for chevon—goat meat. That is enough for my child and me,” Ms Wairimu says. A kilogramme retails at about Sh1,200, but she plans to buy just half a kilo.
A family having a meal during Christmas.
Mr Dennis Warui, an online taxi operator and father of two, also plans to remain in Nairobi. He explains that travelling upcountry to Murang’a would stretch his finances too thin.
“The money we would have used on transport will instead go toward school fees and sending something small to our parents so they can also enjoy the festive season,” he adds.
Rural homes
Even as many families choose to stay in the city, Nairobi’s transport hubs tell a story of divided choices. Matatu termini to upcountry routes have recorded high numbers of travellers heading to rural homes for Christmas.
For those staying in Nairobi, entertainment does not have to come at a high cost. Ms Wambui, Ms Wairimu, and Mr Warui plan to take their children to public and easily accessible spaces. Uhuru Park and Jeevanjee Gardens, both in Nairobi’s CBD, and Garden City along Thika Road are popular options offering a festive atmosphere without expensive tickets.
“These places are enough for children. What matters is spending time together,” Ms Wairimu says.
Their careful planning ensures that their 2025 Christmas—and the approach of 2026—will be meaningful and joyous, even on a modest budget.
A spot check by Nation in several Nairobi estates, including Githurai, Zimmerman, Kawangware, Kayole, and Kahawa West, shows that ex-layer chickens are selling at between Sh800 and Sh1,000. Poultry traders attribute the increase to seasonal demand.
Mr Gerald Thuo, a Nairobi poultry trader, says prices have risen from around Sh700 in recent months. “During the festive season, chickens are highly sought after, and the prices we offer customers are dictated by farmers,” he explains.
Chapati is a staple meal in many homes in Kenya during Christmas.
Kienyeji chickens are even more expensive. Mr George Kinyua, a young poultry trader, says a bird that previously sold for Sh1,000 is now retailing at about Sh1,500 due to high demand.
“Orders are so high that my supply cannot meet demand,” he says, observing that many Nairobi residents are marking Christmas within the city.
Even with the price increases, Ms Wambui, Ms Wairimu, and Mr Warui say their budgets remain sufficient to mark the festive season meaningfully. Their choices reflect a growing number of urban residents who are creating alternative ways to celebrate without travelling.
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