The prices of common market products such as maize, potatoes, and green vegetables are set to rise further in May, following the increase in inflation rates.
According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), the annual inflation rate climbed to an eight-month high in April due to a tight supply of food items.
KNBS revealed increases in the prices of basic commodities, including food, transport, housing, water, electricity, and gas.
In the transport sector, despite the drop in fuel prices as announced by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA), it will not have an impact on bus fare prices in the coming months.
The prices of matatus and buses from Nairobi to Malindi went up by 22.2 per cent.
In its latest fuel review, EPRA announced that the prices of super petrol, diesel, and kerosene would retail at Ksh174.63, Ksh164.86, and Ksh148.99, respectively, reflecting a decrease of Ksh1.95, Ksh2.20, and Ksh2.40 per litre, respectively.
The price of electricity per 50 kilowatt-hours increased by 3.8 per cent, while the cost of refilling a 13 kg gas cylinder rose by 0.3 per cent.
On food prices, a kilogram of potatoes went up by 4.0 per cent, maize by 2.9 per cent, fortified maize flour by 2.6 per cent, and sugar by 0.7 per cent.
The price of beef per kilogram went up by 0.3 per cent, while that of tomatoes – a key additive in the kitchens of many Kenyans – increased by 1.2 per cent.
However, the prices of wheat flour and common vegetables such as spinach, kale, and cabbage decreased by 2.2 per cent, 2.3 per cent, and 4.0 per cent, respectively.
Consumer prices rose by 4.1 per cent year-on-year, compared with 3.6 per cent recorded in March, falling slightly short of the Monetary Policy Committee's projection of an inflation rate of 4.2 per cent in April.
On a monthly basis, inflation stood at 0.3 per cent in April, according to data from the KNBS.
Overall, Kenya's inflation rate has been rising steadily since hitting a low of 2.7 per cent in October, but it still remains comfortably within the Central Bank's target range of 2.5 to 7.5 per cent.
