In Nakuru, Njaanuary financial strain has prompted some of the residents to adjust their diet and lifestyle to survive the tough times.

One of the ways the residents are coping up is advancing a shift towards affordable, local food of ugali, mayai, chapati mayai, doing fewer restaurant visits and embracing kibanda food.

Talking to a Nakuru butcher, he says, "Compared to December and other months, January makes the least sale for us when it comes to meat, forcing us to get fewer chunks of meat to sell a day."

According to Mr Kimani, he buys only 30kg of meat in January unlike other months which he gets 50kg as the least.

Chuckling, the butcher, states "I can practically count the meat orders this January. Most of them are hotel vendors, since people have opted for cheaper food. It seems that meat is a luxury in this hard month of the year."

Elizabeth Elishiwani, a business kibanda owner that works twenty four hours discloses that her customers mostly order "ugali , mayai" that goes for sh 70 and "ugali Sukuma" at sh 50.

"The hit for Njaanuary is ugali and eggs, ugali and Sukuma, simple and affordable for majority of my customers that stream in my 24hour kibanda," Ms Elishiwani highlights.

Simultaneously, the budget conscious month has not only affected the diet but also forced residents to do walking more instead of using public transport.

With the wallets tightened, most residents brush off shoulders in the pathways embracing the more effective lifestyle of walking that has become the order of how to survive the month.

From dawn to dusk, the residents, chose to traverse their daily paths on foot.

Martin Kamau a Nakuru bachelor jokingly Says " nilikuwa nioe hii mwaka lakini uchumi inazidi kuwa mbaya. I can hardly survive on my own. Bringing a family will be double struggle.”

Mr Kamau, the 29 year old notes with humour that his diet is now ugali and Sukuma.

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Ugali mayai records high sales in Nakuru's food kiosks, as meat takes a back seat

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Winnie Kimani