A trader selling Omena outside Wakulima Market, Nairobi on May 27, 2023. Fish consumers in parts of the country could be forced to dig deeper into their pockets to purchase omena due to low supply.
| Bonface Bogita
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Omena, once the 'poor man's meal', now out of reach for many
What has always been known as the poor man's meal is now unaffordable for many low-income earners, as the price of the delicacy has increased by more than 70 percent in the past month.
It is a common delicacy in the Luo community and the impact of the high price of the delicacy is already being felt by some families, especially those who cannot afford other sources of animal proteins such as chicken, fish, and meat.
Ms Quinter Atieno, a food kiosk vendor, told the Nation her profit margins have reduced following the increase in price of the delicacy.
The price of silver cyprinid, popularly known as dagaa in Kiswahili or omena in the local Dholuo language, has almost doubled in the past four weeks, forcing the low-income families in Homa Bay County to switch to other protein sources for their meals.
What has always been known as the poor man's meal is now unaffordable for many low-income earners, as the price of the delicacy has increased by more than 70 percent in the past month.
