The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
Kenya’s inflation edged up to 6.5 percent in July from 6.4 percent in June, as rising electricity tariffs and food prices continued to strain household budgets, even as fuel prices held steady and cooking gas costs eased.
According to data released by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), consumer prices climbed 0.2 percent between June and July, with food, transport, and electricity remaining the primary drivers behind the increase.
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This marks the second straight month that inflation has stayed above the six percent mark, following a high of 6.7 percent recorded in May.
KNBS attributed the uptick largely to increases in Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages, Transport, and Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels — categories that together make up more than half of the consumer price index.
Food inflation came in at 9 percent year-on-year. While prices for tomatoes, carrots, and sifted maize flour dropped during the month, these gains were offset by higher costs for Irish potatoes, beef, and mangoes.
Electricity costs also climbed, with households consuming 200 kilowatt-hours paying 3.1 percent more, while those using 50 kilowatt-hours faced a steeper 3.5 percent increase in tariffs.
There was some relief on the energy front, however, as the cost of refilling a 13-kilogram LPG cylinder dropped by 1.1 percent, while petrol and diesel prices held steady throughout the month.
Transport costs remained elevated as well, with annual transport inflation reaching 15.6 percent. Though fares for inter-town buses saw a slight dip, commuters paid more to use city matatus and boda bodas.
Overall, the data underscores food’s outsized influence on household spending, contributing 2.6 percentage points to total inflation, while transport added a further 1.5 percentage points.
