Gideon Tumwijukye | Tayari News
KABALE – Hotel owners and customers in Kabale District have protested rising food prices, which have forced several hotels to raise meal prices, leaving low-income earners struggling to afford their daily lunch.
According to agitated stakeholders, the meals that previously cost two thousand shillings, including posho, matooke and beans, are now being sold between three thousand and five thousand shillings, with some customers paying as much as six thousand shillings.
Medard Byamugisha, a welder in Kabale town, says the rising cost of meals has made life harder, especially when business is not performing well.
“The food that we used to eat at three thousand shillings is now going for five thousand and sometimes six thousand shillings. Our businesses are not doing well, but we still have families to take care of and other needs to meet.”
Byamugisha says hotel owners attribute the price increases to rising fuel costs, adding that he has resorted to eating kikomando for lunch to cope with the situation.
“When we ask the hotel owners why they have increased the prices, they tell us that fuel prices have gone up. We have now resorted to eating kikomando for lunch, but I fear this may hurt our health in the long run.”
Wilbroad Byamugisha, a casual labourer in Kabale town, says the high cost of food is consuming almost all his daily earnings, leaving him with little money for other necessities.
“I earn seven thousand shillings a day, but food alone now costs five thousand shillings. This means that I remain with only two thousand shillings to cater for my other needs, and at the end of the day, I have nothing to save.”
Meanwhile, hotel operators say they have been forced to increase meal prices because of the rising cost of purchasing food commodities from the market.
“Landlords have also increased rent following the trade order, yet the prices of food commodities have gone up. We are facing many challenges, and it is becoming difficult to keep these businesses running without increasing the prices.”
Ruth Tumukunde of Maama Shild’s Hotel in Mukibikura, Northern Division of Kabale Municipality, says she has increased the prices of several meals because of the rising cost of food supplies.
Tumukunde says beans that previously cost two thousand shillings and groundnuts that cost two thousand five hundred shillings are now selling at three thousand shillings, while beef has increased from four thousand to six thousand shillings.
She attributes the situation partly to inadequate rainfall, which she believes has affected food production and availability.
“We used to sell beans at two thousand shillings, groundnuts at two thousand five hundred shillings and beef at four thousand shillings. Now, we have increased the prices because the commodities are expensive. I think the lack of rain has contributed to the scarcity of food in the market.”
Meanwhile, Alex Muhumuza, a fresh-food vendor at Kabale Central Market, attributes the rising food prices to prolonged drought and increasing fuel costs, which he says have affected food supplies and transportation.
“The prolonged drought has affected the availability of food in the market, and fuel prices have also increased. These factors are contributing to the high prices, and we expect the situation to worsen if nothing changes.”