Cost of living too high, says tailor

Stella Maiko barely had time to hear the budget that was read on Thursday by Finance Minister Njeru Githae because she had to work so as to provide for her family.

Ms Maiko,40, a mother of two and a tailor in Kisumu, is the sole bread winner of her family.

She has been making clothes for the last 15 years as she struggles to pay fees for her children, pay rent, buy food and ensure they lack nothing.

“Life has become tough, every year it gets harder and we are forced to dig deeper into our pockets,” she told Nation in an interview on Thursday.

She said high inflation rates and high cost of living had made her income to become too little over the years.

This has forced her eldest daughter, Mary, to look for work as she studies so that she can assist her mother foot the bills.

On a normal day, Ms Maiko gets Sh1, 000, with which she buys food and other needs. 

“The money is barely enough, some days I get Sh200 that I have to do with,” she said.

Mary is in a computer college in Kisumu while her sister, Juliet, is in primary school.

Ms Maiko has to part with Sh12,000 per term to pay fees for Juliet while Mary requires Sh3,000 per month.

The woman and her two children pay Sh5,000 per month as rent for their single room in Railways estate.

According to her, Thursday's budget failed to cushion Kenyans against the high prices of basic commodities.

Her biggest worry is price of kerosene which she uses to cook.

A litre of kerosene is retailing at Sh88 in Kisumu and she has to set aside Sh200 for it per day.

Ms Maiko is hopeful the prices will come down so she can be able to cook.

She wanted the tax on textile products to come down so that she could be able to buy stock.

Ms Maiko also wanted the devolved funds meant for counties to be increased so that it can help people to set up their own businesses.