The cost of Ga kenkey with fried fish—a traditional Ghanaian meal made from fermented corn dough served with hot pepper sauce and fried fish—has surged by 17.8% in March 2025 compared to the same period last year, according to the latest inflation data released by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS). This increase, although significant, remains below the national inflation average of 22.4% recorded for March.
The staple meal for many Ghanaians also did not make it into the list of the top 20 food items with the highest inflation, which ranged from 41% to 137%. This suggests that while the beloved meal has become more expensive, other food items have experienced even steeper hikes in price.
On a month-to-month basis, the data revealed that the price of kenkey with fish rose by 2.2% between February and March 2025, indicating that prices are still trending upward.
One of the key drivers behind this increase is the rising cost of maize—the main ingredient used to make kenkey. GSS data shows that maize recorded a staggering 54.9% year-on-year inflation in March, pushing it into the group of items with some of the highest price increases.
Once considered a meal easily accessible to the average Ghanaian, kenkey with fried fish is now slowly becoming unaffordable for many. During the 2007 currency redenomination period, a ball of kenkey sold for 10 pesewas. Today, it sells at an average price of GHS 5.00, marking a 50-fold increase over an 18-year period.
If the price of maize continues to climb, consumers may face even more difficult choices. Vendors may shrink the size of kenkey balls, increase prices, or do both—further pushing this staple out of reach for lower-income households.
These price hikes come amid growing concerns over Ghana’s food security and rising cost of living. Agricultural experts and stakeholders are calling on the government to take bold and deliberate steps to strengthen food production and price stability.
Mr. Daniel Fahene Acquaye, Chief Executive Officer of Agri-Impact Limited, expressed disappointment with the current level of funding allocated to the agricultural sector in the 2025 national budget, describing it as “woefully inadequate” to meet the sector’s needs.
Similarly, Dr. Godfred Seidu Jasaw, Chairman of Parliament’s Agriculture Committee, has warned that Ghana’s food security is increasingly at risk due to insufficient investment in agriculture. The with high unemployment and many Ghanaians depending on affordable local foods like kenkey, the rising cost of such staples could have serious socio-economic and governance implications.
As inflation continues to impact daily essentials, the fate of meals like kenkey with fried fish will serve as a reflection of broader economic challenges faced by ordinary Ghanaians.
