Ugandan shoppers take advantage of Kenya’s weak currency for Christmas shopping

Ugandans are taking advantage of Kenya’s weakened currency this Christmas season, with many crossing the border to buy items at lower-than-usual prices.

Fabrics are especially popular, according to the Daily Monitor newspaper which says hundreds of shoppers are pouring into Kenya through the Busia border post.

“I buy a lot of clothes in Kenya with 1,000 shillings ($6.40; £5) but with the same money in Uganda I will buy only one cloth,” trader David Basalirwa told the newspaper.

The Daily Nation says this marks a big shift from the past when Kenyans typically crossed into Uganda to buy cheaper textiles.