"How much is a bar of soap in your area?" Walking around the streets of Kampala and other surburbs, this is one of the most commonly asked questions. Prices of commodities have been increasing at rocket speed, with most traders attributing the price increase to fuel prices.
While the borders were opened and fuel tracks started coming inabout three weeks back, the prices of commodities have gone ahead to increase an the most affected goods are soap, cooking oil and rice. In a survey done from Kikuubo market, a bar of soap is sold at 7,500/= - 8,000/= while a litre of cooking oil has drastically increased from 8,000/= in February to 13,000/= as of today.
While this all goes on, leaders seem to have their attention on other issues, among which include the recently concluded censorship case of Mityana Municipality Member of Parliament, Hon. Zzaake Francis Butebi who got scrapped off the parliament's committee over issues of internet misuse towards the deputy speaker, Hon.Anite Among.
This however didn't stop Kira Muncipality MP, who also doubles as the spokesperson who Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) to call out the government to look into the issue of the commodity prices. "A bar of soap in the village costs 11,000/=, meaning there many people who will not be able to access soap. Kerosene, Cooking oil, and these are essential commodities. Therefore the government must come put and exempt taxes on such items." said Ssemuju.
The National Resistance Movemement, which is the ruling party, is expected to meet with the party chairman who is the president of the republic of Uganda, H.E Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, to discuss the hefty commodity prices.
