It is 7.30am in Lutheran area, Makutano town, West Pokot County, and Jane Naliaka, popularly known as Mama Dorica, is seated in a veranda with her children pondering on their next move.
Some of the minors are crying and appear drowsy while others are restless because they slept hungry and have had nothing for breakfast.
Sad as she looks, the starving 62-year-old mother of six struggling with a Sh480 debt is lucky to be alive.
She, her children and grandchildren narrowly escaped death last weekend after taking heavy doses of sleeping pills for two days to momentarily forget about their hunger pangs.
They took the doses on Saturday and Sunday and literally ‘slept the hunger away’ out of desperation caused by Kenya’s runaway cost of living.
They are among millions of Kenyans who are unable to make ends meet after the prices of basic commodities shot through the roof— thanks to inflation and heavy taxation.
Commodity prices remained high in June, and now July, despite overall inflation easing by 0.1 percent to 7.9 per cent, according to data from Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS).
Among goods that have kept inflation high are sugar with a year-on-year inflation rate of 58.1 per cent, 200kwh of electricity (53.4 per cent) and maize grain (30.7 per cent). Maize is Kenya’s staple.
A kilo of sugar cost Sh204.76 on average in June 2023, up from Sh129.55 in June 2022. The price also shot up by more than Sh10 in June as compared to the previous month when it retailed at Sh194.29 on average.
Naliaka and her family were saved on Sunday by their neighbours who got concerned after they failed to wake up for over 36 hours.
She took the Sh480 loan from a friend when one of her grandchildren fell sick but the debt has since ballooned after she failed to repay it on time.
“I have six children plus five grandchildren whose mother died. Some children are still young. Today, I gave them hot water with no sugar in the morning, but many times we go without food,” she said.
“Whenever we lack supper, I normally give them tablets to sleep so that they don’t cry the whole night.”
The trader who sells vegetables at Makutano market went broke after another lender carted away her stock worth Sh3,000 for failing to repay a loan.
“I could not pay the debt for two months and my friend came and picked up my tomatoes. She even reported the matter to the police station and life became very hard for me,” she said.
Naliaka, a single mother who stays in a rented single-room house, says she has been unable to pay rent for six months. “I pay Sh3000 but I am now unable to make ends meet.”
The sleeping pills have taken a toll on some of the children and their school attendance is now erratic.
“They normally go to school at most three days in a week because sometimes the pills make them dizzy,” she said.
The woman appealed to Kenya kwanza Government to address the plight of poor Kenyans, whom she said were “greatly suffering”.
“I call on President William Ruto to intervene and save us as mothers at the bottom of the pyramid,” she said.
Charles Lokwachai Panyako, a neighbour who witnessed the incident, says the woman’s situation is dire.
“Life has become hard. If you find 10 people in a vehicle, five most likely slept hungry the previous night. I was shocked after visiting Mama Dorica. I saw her with many tablets and she was giving them to her children to sleep and forget about food,” he said.
“Initially you could buy a quarter of sugar. Mama Mboga gets Sh100 in a day and it becomes hard for her to afford a decent life. She takes three sleeping tablets and gives two to each child,” he said.
Wycliffe Ambani, a boda boda rider, said Kenyans have been affected by Finance Act 2023, which has made has made life unbearable.
“A quarter of sugar goes for Sh60. Boda boda riders are crying because of high fuel prices yet they have loans to repay. Let the government help the poor,” he said.
Join our community and solve the Puzzling fun with our range of crosswords
We are building some fun puzzles to put your problem-solving skills to the test and we want you to have a blast while you're at it!
Share your email and we’ll serve up new puzzles with your morning coffee.
Do you want to help shape the features we prioritize? Take a Survey to help us understand what matters to you most
Begin SurveyAM Live is NTV's morning current affairs show that sets the agenda for the day with insightful panels every weekday.
Business Redefined is Kenya’s premier thought leadership platform for unpacking matters regarding economic and finance policy as well demystifying complex developments in the region’s capital markets.
This is Daily Politics. Here we look into the ins and outs of everything Kenyan politics. We pull no punches and have no reason to sugarcoat anything that matters to Kenyans.
A collection of our premium content. Diam curabitur vehicula A collection of our premium content. Diam curabitur vehicula
A collection of our premium content. Diam curabitur vehicula A collection of our premium content. Diam curabitur vehicula
Gumzo La Sato is a live social issues show that aims to create awareness about issues affecting the larger society. The discussions range from Parenting, Marital bliss and struggles, Oppression, violence, and all matters of the Heart.
Health Diary is a weekly show that highlights different types of diseases/conditions and seeks ways to prevent, treat/manage them. The show debunks this through real life stories and also feature specialists in different fields, to offer medical advice on the same.
Letter To My Younger Self is a podcast where guests get to write a letter to their younger self, from which Maxine formulates questions to ask them during the hour-long show.
Nation Reports is a weekly podcast offers an opportunity for listeners to interact with various reporters and journey with them as they unravel the biggest most emotive stories.
Paradise Lost peeks through the story of Louis Otieno, the times, and everything in between.
Speaking of Gen Z brings you entertaining but meaningful conversations about a generation that is trying to navigate through adulthood. Join hosts Michelle, Jackie and Esther as they unravel all things Gen Z.
Sport-On is a 30-minute sports magazine show on NTV and 3 hours on NATION FM. The show seeks to give the sports “fanatics” and “funatics” comprehensive and in-depth coverage of sports both locally and internationally.
Thamani is a business show which is dedicated to emerging issues regarding micro, small and medium size businesses.
A two-hour-long live show that airs on Fridays. The show focuses on what is current in the entertainment industry, controversial and popular across all media platforms targeting those aged between 25 and 35 years.
The trend podcast highlights and captures the best of banter from #TTTT segment that airs every Friday on NTV. It's the TTTT EXTRA
The Wicked Edition with Dr. King’ori seeks to address serious issues through humour and relatable wit. It is a two-part half hour show filmed in front of a live audience
A collection of our premium content. Diam curabitur vehicula A collection of our premium content. Diam curabitur vehicula
Twende is a travel show that highlights beautiful, unique, diverse locations, people, and cultures. The show offers fresh perspectives on familiar locations and memorable experiences in new ones.
This Saturday evening lifestyle show lets viewers share their stories and life experiences as openly & honestly for the purpose of shifting the culture of silence.
VIP ACCESS is Anyiko Owoko’s YouTube and podcast show on Music and Culture dedicated to promoting Africa’s most promising talent and creatives. This podcast grants you VIP access into timeless interviews while providing a platform for rising as well as established artists across the continent. Since launching in 2018, Anyiko has interviewed over 70 African music stars.
This weekly news show aims to have all sides of debate but not be constrained by it, listen to main voices in the contest but not allow them to hold the viewers hostage, entertain debate but allow push back with all due respect.
In this podcast, three widowers openly speak about the process of grief, how they found themselves exposed to the emotional turmoil of losing their wives, and how society still does not know how to deal with them.
Your World is a health, wellness and variety show. It provides a platform for audiences and experts to share their experiences on how to improve or manage health issues, across Kenya and the Africa region.