Popular Ghanaian dish, kenkey, took center stage and stole the show in parliament last week during debate on the 2026 Budget Statement by members of the house. The subject of contention was the actual price of kenkey in the country.
The Kenkey debate, sparked by Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, an MP on the minority, was fiercely contested by Mahama Ayariga, the majority leader of the house. While the former insisted that a ball of kenkey has risen to hit GHC 7 on the street, the latter rejected the said claims.
The debate did not end on the floor of parliament. It trickled to the streets, trotros, and various places. The widespread contention over the price of the staple dish signals that there is no uniform price for the common food.
Thankfully, there is an independent indicator that can help us to approach a common ground when it comes to current price of kenkey.
The Kenkey Index is an indicator that curates data on the prices of kenkey over time to give a fair idea of the price of the stable food. Moreover, a post made by its curator, Kobina Aidoo, helps to give some clear, practical answers beyond the political banter.
The Street Truth: Kenkey Still Sells Mostly at GH₵5
Kobina Aidoo says that while prices on the streets currently range between GH₵4 and GH₵8, with occasional spikes to GH₵10 earlier this year, the Index shows something surprising. He notes that most Ghanaians still buy their kenkey at GH₵5.
Across all markets monitored, the GH₵5 ball of kenkey now makes up about three-quarters of what’s sold. He was quick to add that level of price stability hasn’t been seen since the Index started collecting data in 2022.
He therefore admits that, according to the index, yes, you can find GH₵7 kenkey. But it’s not common. To be specific, only about 22% of the market sells at that price.
Average Price: Almost No Change in the Last Quarter
He further explains that when you take all price points into account, the average cost of a ball of kenkey moved only slightly from GH₵5.37 to GH₵5.45 between June and September.
It’s a tiny shift, far from the dramatic increases many assume.
“While prices currently range between GH₵4 and GH₵8 (went as high as GH₵10 in June), the average price we recorded went from GH₵5.37 to GH₵5.45 from June to September. But, of course, no one sells kenkey at GH₵5.45 cedis…,” he noted.
He added, “In fact, the 5-cedi kenkey has had the biggest share since the beginning of 2024 and currently accounts for three-quarters of the kenkey on the market. We haven’t seen prices this stable since we began collecting data in 2022.”
But the story doesn’t end there.
The Real Surprise: The Weight of Kenkey Has Increased
Even more interesting, the Kenkey Index shows that the average weight of a standard ball of kenkey actually rose by 3.27% over the last quarter. This means that while the price remained the same for most people buying at GH₵5, the weight quietly went up.
In practical terms, your GH₵5 kenkey is slightly “fatter” today than it was a few months ago.
“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%,” he further explained.
Inflation View: Kenkey Is Moving Exactly With National Food Prices
The Index also uses a smart method of comparing the weight of kenkey to the weight of a sachet of water (“pure water”). From that angle, the real price of kenkey actually went down by 3.25% in the last quarter, settling at GH₵6.37 for equivalent weight.
Compared to a year ago, the price of kenkey is up by 11.06%, which is almost perfectly matching Ghana’s national food inflation rate for the same period (11.0%), according to the Ghana Statistical Service.
“We use the weight of a sachet of water (“pure water”). On that score, the average price you would pay for kenkey of that weight went down by 3.25% to GH₵6.37 cedis in the last quarter. Compared with a year ago, you 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,” he further explained.
In short, Kenkey isn’t becoming unusually expensive. It’s moving in line with the broader food market.
Who Won the Kenkey Debate?
Based on the date from the index, neither MP wins the argument outright. Kobina Aidoo admits that, yes, you can find GH₵7 kenkey. But it’s not the norm.
The typical Ghanaian buyer is still paying GH₵5, and actually getting slightly more food for the same price.
If there’s any winner at all, Aidoo says, it’s the Ghanaian people: the weight of the beloved dish has increased while prices have largely held stable.
