Asha began her survey by buying bread.
She did not want to walk into other people’s shops with her phone raised, asking for “evidence.” So on the afternoon of day four, she left Mti Market with a tote bag, cash, a notebook and a list of five shops within walking distance.
At the first shop, owned by Rehema near the matatu stage, Asha paid full price for a loaf of Safina Afya.
“You like this one?” Rehema asked.
“I’m comparing batches.”
Rehema’s expression changed. “Why?”
“A customer asked about wording. I’m not saying there’s a product problem. I’m comparing what’s on the packs.”
Rehema pulled out another loaf. One had the older wording, the other the newer wording. The shelf card, however, was the newer *Smart Start* version.
Asha wrote: *old-wording pack + new shelf card.*
At the second shop, Kamau wanted nothing to do with supplier trouble.
“I buy stock. I sell stock,” he said.
Asha bought a loaf and asked only to see the carton batch. It was a third variation she had not yet recorded.
“Don’t put my name online,” Kamau warned.
“I won’t use it without permission.”
That was enough to keep the conversation open.
The third shop had the opposite mismatch: newer packaging, older *Whole-Grain Choice* shelf material. A cashier said suppliers changed cards. The manager said sometimes the shop did. Asha wrote both statements separately instead of choosing the one she preferred.
By the fourth shop, a pattern was forming. Package wording and shelf messaging had not rolled out in perfect sync.
But a pattern was still not proof of motive.
Juma Otieno owned the fifth shop. He saw Asha approaching with a bag full of bread and laughed.
“Have you started a bakery?”
“A survey.”
“I’m not interested.”
“You haven’t heard the question.”
“I know your face when you’re looking for trouble.”
Asha bought two loaves anyway.
Juma lowered his voice. “Listen. Ladha Safi is a good supplier. They deliver on time. They accept returns. Don’t break a useful relationship because one customer got angry.”
“It isn’t one customer anymore.”
Juma looked at her.
“I’ve seen wording differences in four shops.”
“So?”
“And different shelf cards.”
“Campaigns change.”
“Without changing the SKU?”
“That’s their business.”
“And if a customer asks whether this is whole grain?”
“I tell them to read the label.”
A woman standing near the bread rack turned around.
“But you told me this was the healthy one last week,” she said.
Juma stared at her.
“I said premium.”
“You said better choice.”
Asha did not pull out her phone. She would not turn an ordinary customer conversation into an interview without consent.
After the woman left without buying bread, Juma said, “You see? If the supplier cuts me off, your post will not pay my rent.”
“I haven’t posted an accusation.”
“People will talk anyway.”
“Yes. That is why facts need to be preserved before everyone remembers whatever helps them most.”
Asha asked him for one thing only: do not throw away packages from different batches or shelf materials until the timeline was clearer. She did not ask for his customer list or full invoices.
“Why should I help you?”
“Because if someone later asks what message you sold under, memory will not be enough.”
Juma disappeared into the back and returned with two loaves: one old wording, one new. His shelf card was still the older version.
“Do not photograph the shop name.”
Asha agreed. She photographed only package panels and recorded batch numbers.
“Have you seen old card with new pack elsewhere?” Juma asked.
“Yes.”
“New card with old pack?”
“Yes.”
“That is rollout.”
“Possibly.”
“Don’t tell me possibly. You saw it.”
“I saw timing mismatch. I do not know why.”
Juma shook his head. “That spreadsheet has made you boring.”
“Zuri would call that a compliment.”
A Ladha Safi delivery van passed outside. Juma watched it longer than necessary.
“Do not name me,” he said again.
“I won’t without permission.”
“And if I give you papers?”
“I will take only relevant fields. You can redact everything else.”
Juma did not promise anything.
Asha stepped outside and summarized the survey without shop names: old pack/new card; third batch; new pack/old card; inconsistent staff explanations; old and new packs together. The only conclusion she allowed herself was narrow: the variation was not limited to Mti Market.
Then Juma called her back.
“Come after I close tonight.”
“Why?”
He opened the small door leading to his stockroom. In the dim light, Asha could see the corner of an old green campaign carton.
Juma opens the stockroom door and says, “If you want to see how they sold us this idea, I still have a carton from the first campaign.”
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