For millions of Kenyans, the cost of living crisis is no longer measured only by the prices displayed on supermarket shelves.
It is also hidden inside the package. A loaf of bread that feels lighter, a thinner chapati, fewer sheets in a tissue roll, smaller portions in restaurants and cooking gas that appears to run out sooner have become the new normal.
This silent erosion of value has become one of the most overlooked threats to consumer welfare.
While businesses argue that rising electricity costs, taxation, fuel prices, imported raw materials and expensive credit have squeezed their margins, quietly reducing quantities or quality without prominently informing customers undermines trust and fairness in the marketplace.
Manufacturers are right to point out that Kenya's cost of doing business remains high. Many firms are struggling to compete with cheaper imports from neighbouring countries and Asia.
But commercial pressures cannot justify practices that leave consumers guessing whether they are receiving what they paid for. Transparency is not an optional business virtue, it is the foundation of a healthy market economy.
Kenya already has laws against deceptive trade practices. The Consumer Protection Act, the Weights and Measures Act and competition laws provide safeguards against misleading representations and short-weighing.
The real problem is weak enforcement. Even more worrying are reports of tampered weighing scales and manipulated fuel pumps that move beyond shrinkflation into outright fraud.
Such practices rob consumers directly and distort fair competition by rewarding dishonest businesses at the expense of compliant ones.
Government must act decisively. Manufacturers should be required to clearly disclose reductions in package sizes.
Market surveillance should be strengthened, especially in the informal sector where millions of Kenyans shop daily. Regulators must coordinate inspections and impose meaningful penalties on offenders.
At a time when households are already stretched by high living costs, consumers deserve honesty, not hidden inflation.
Businesses that earn public trust through transparency will ultimately build stronger brands, while regulators who enforce the law will restore confidence in Kenya's marketplace.
