The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
Related Articles
Lower costs for transport, food, and internet helped bring Kenya’s inflation down to 4.4 percent in January, slightly below December’s 4.5 percent, according to the latest data.
The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) Consumer Price Index (CPI) report shows that inter-town bus and matatu fares fell by 1.9 percent, supported by drops in petrol and diesel prices of 1.1 percent and 0.6 percent, respectively.
Click here to join our WhatsApp Channel
Mobile phone prices, including both basic phones and smartphones, as well as televisions, each fell by 0.3 percent, while internet charges declined by 0.2 percent. KNBS also noted that TV subscription fees, such as DStv, decreased by 0.1 percent, though laptop prices rose slightly by 0.2 percent.
Food prices also helped ease inflation, with sugar down 3.0 percent, mangoes by 3.2 percent, and cooking oil (salad) by 0.1 percent. However, some staples became more expensive, including cabbages (up 9.3 percent), fortified maize flour (6.7 percent), kale/sukuma wiki (4.0 percent), and Irish potatoes (3.4 percent).
Click Here To Subscribe To Our YouTube Channel
Energy costs were mixed: electricity for 50 kWh and 200 kWh rose by 3.7 percent and 3.4 percent, respectively, while kerosene prices fell by 0.6 percent.
Healthcare costs saw varied changes. Prices for cancer medicines, spectacles, contact lenses, and X-rays/scans declined by 2 percent, 0.6 percent, and 0.2 percent, respectively, but diabetes medicines and lab tests each increased by 0.9 percent.
Overall, easing transport, food, and communication costs contributed to the marginal reduction in inflation.
