Accra, Ghana//- The Kenkey Index digs into the dispute in Parliament on Wednesday between Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, a minority NPP MP and Mahama Ayariga, Majority Leader, to clarify the current price of the fermented starch ball beloved by Ghanaians.
While the “price” varies around Accra, and certainly when compared with Hon. Darko-Mensah’s constituency in Takoradi, one can attempt to determine price movements from four perspectives:
1. What is the average price of a ball of kenkey for sale on the streets of Accra? In September, we recorded prices ranging from GH₵4 to GH₵8 (had gone as high as GH₵10 in June), but the average price went from GH₵5.37 to GH₵5.45 from June to September.
Of course, no one sells kenkey at GH₵5.45 cedis, so…
2. What is the most common price of kenkey on the streets? For that, the answer is clear: GH₵5. Indeed, the 5-cedi kenkey has had the biggest share since the beginning of 2024, and it currently accounts for three-quarters of the kenkey on the market. We have not seen prices this stable since we began collecting data in 2022.
3. But perhaps even more important, the real price of kenkey has actually gone down–as the weight increased slightly (3.27%) in the last quarter, given the same price of kenkey. In other words, the weight of, say, the 5-cedi kenkey went up, on average, by 3.27%.
Notably, we saw this increase in weight (therefore, value) in the price of kenkey between June and September of 2023, so there could be seasonal effects tied to the harvest. That will become clearer as we continue to collect data in the following years.
4. Finally, looking at it from the inflation perspective, we use the weight of a sachet of water (“pure water”): 500 grams. On that score, the average price one would pay for kenkey of that weight went down by 3.25% to GH₵6.37 cedis in the last quarter.
However, compared with a year ago, one could say the price of kenkey went up by 11.06%. Crucially, that is almost exactly in line with national food inflation (11.0%) for that period according to the Ghana Statistical Service.
So who is correct? Both and neither. Yes, one can indeed find kenkey at GH₵7 on the streets. But it is also true that it is rare (only 22% is sold at that price in Accra). In the final analysis, it is the people of Ghana who won in the last quarter as the average weight of kenkey increased. The Kenkey Index will continue collecting data to see if this trend continues to the end of 2025.
The Kenkey Index is compiled with kenkey from 50 to 60 spots (depending on availability in each collection period) around the Accra Metropolitan Area. Samples are typically collected within one week in each calendar month, typically starting on the 15th day.
Percentage changes are calculated with unrounded numbers.
Project originator: Kobina Aidoo
Data analyst/research assistant: Michael Armah
Social media support: Benjamin Eduafo Arthur Jr.
Data collection/transportation support: Isaac Kow Baah and Theophilus Arthur
