The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
Kenya’s inflation climbed to 4.1% in April, the highest level in eight months, driven by a surge in food prices and rising costs of essential non-food items, according to new data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS).
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The increase marks a continued upward trend in inflation for the sixth consecutive month since hitting a low of 2.7% in October 2024. In March, inflation stood at 3.6%.
The Consumer Price Index (CPI), which tracks the cost of a fixed basket of goods and services, showed an annual increase compared to April 2024. The rise was largely influenced by price hikes in food and non-alcoholic beverages (up 7.1%), transport (up 2.3%), and housing, utilities, and fuel (up 0.8%). These three categories make up over 57% of the total weighting across the 13 main expenditure groups.
The CPI is based on a comparison of current prices with those from a base period in February 2019. Data is collected monthly from retail outlets in urban areas across 50 zones nationwide, focusing on commonly purchased household items.
In April, key food items recorded notable price increases. A 2-kg packet of fortified maize flour (unga) rose to an average of Sh169.41 from Sh165.05, while loose maize grain went up to Sh66.60 per kilogram, up from Sh64.72. Prices for potatoes and tomatoes also climbed, averaging Sh131.50 and Sh81.88 per kilo respectively.
Electricity bills also rose, with households consuming 50 kWh paying Sh1,315 on average, up from Sh1,268, while those using 200 kWh saw their bills rise to Sh5,877 from Sh5,687. The price of a 13-kg gas cylinder increased slightly to Sh3,156 from Sh3,146.
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Housing costs saw a marginal uptick, with the average rent for a two-bedroom house increasing to Sh18,312, up from Sh18,307. These price hikes offset declines in the cost of some food items like wheat flour, cooking oil, sukuma wiki, and cabbages.
KNBS Director General Macdonald Obudho noted that the housing and utilities index rose by 0.3% month-on-month, largely due to a 3.8% increase in electricity (50 kWh), a 3.4% rise in the 200 kWh bracket, and a 0.3% rise in gas prices. Meanwhile, kerosene prices dropped by 1.6%.
Transport costs went up by 0.5%, mainly due to higher bus fares during the Easter holiday season. This happened even as fuel pump prices fell slightly, with petrol down 1.1% to Sh174.63 per litre and diesel down 1.3% to Sh164.86.
