Tuskys Assures Customers Of Enough Stock As Shoppers Panic Over Coronavirus

Retailer Tuskys has assured its customers that commodity prices will not go up, hours after Kenya confirmed its first coronavirus case.

According to CEO Dan Githua, Tuskys has engaged its suppliers and will continue to receive commodities at the standard prices.

“For more than 90 percent of the general supermarket merchandise, we have in-country stocks and manufacturing capacity to service local demand,” the statement reads in part.

He also noted that the retailer experienced “shop floor traffic spike” as fears of items running out spread.

The high demand for foodstuffs and cleaning products saw the Competition Authority (CAK) demand that sellers refrain from hiking prices.

”Take notice that the said conduct is a contravention of section 21 (1) of the Act as read together with section 21 (3) (a) of the Act and will attract a penalty of up to ten per cent of the respective turnover of the manufacturers and retailers in question, pursuant to section 36 (d) of the Act,” CA said in a statement.

Earlier today, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe warned traders against hoarding items in order to hike prices.

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“This is not the time to make abnormal profits by charging abnormal prices,” CS Kagwe said.

He appealed to the business community to exercise “reasonable behavior” in terms of pricing of goods.

Reports indicate that prices on selected items tripled as others run out.

For example, sanitizers and masks run out fast as well as cleaning ware, paperware and foodstuffs.

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Globally, more than 125,000 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in more 114 countries and over 4,600 deaths reported.

At least 10 countries in Africa have reported cases of coronavirus. They are Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Senegal, Cameroon, Togo, South Africa, Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon and Ghana.

According to WHO, coronavirus is a respiratory illness clinically resembling viral pneumonia and manifesting as fever, cough, and shortness of breath.