The overall year-on-year inflation rate as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) was 8.0 per cent, in May 2023.
According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), the increase in inflation was largely due to an increase in prices of commodities under Food and Nonalcoholic Beverages (10.2%); and Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and other fuels (9.7%); and Transport (10.1%) between May 2022 and May 2023.
“These three divisions account for over 57 per cent of the weights of the 13 broad categories,” noted KNBS.
Prices of commodities under Personal Care, Social Protection and Miscellaneous Goods and Services recorded an increase of 8.1 per cent over the period.
In addition, the CPI increased by 0.9 per cent from an index of 131.83 in April 2023 to 133.01 in May 2023.
The month-to-month Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages Index also increased by 1.4 per cent between April 2023 and May 2023.
Moreover, the prices for sugar, carrots, onions (leeks and bulbs) and beans increased by 22.1, 6.3, 5.1 and 3.6 per cent, respectively between April 2023 and May 2023.
Average Retail Prices
During the same period, however, prices of kales (sukuma wiki), cabbages and avocado declined by 7.4, 5.7 and 4.4 per cent, respectively.
The Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels’ Index, increased by 0.7 per cent between April 2023 and May 2023. This was mainly due to an increase in prices of kerosene by 10.2 per cent between April 2023 and May 2023.
During the same period, however, the prices of gas/LPG declined by 0.3 per cent. The Transport Index went up by 1.2 per cent between April 2023 and May 2023. This was mainly due to an increase in the prices of diesel and petrol by 3.8 per cent and 1.8 per cent, respectively.
