Kenya's Inflation Rises Again to 6.8% as Food, Fuel Prices Surge

 

Data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) and Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) showed inflation rose to 6.8% in September 2023. Food and fuel prices The 0.1% slight increase came about from food prices, which remained relatively high and the rising fuel prices. Prices of Irish potatoes, cabbages and sukuma wiki rose by 26.1%, 10.1% and 4.7%, respectively. Pump prices increased by 36.6% for a litre of kerosene, 21.6% for diesel, 17.9% for petrol and 39.5% for electricity. KNBS reported a monthly inflation rate of 1% for the month of September 2023. "The rise in annual inflation was mainly due to an increase in prices of commodities ranging from food, non-food, fuel and non-fuel," read KNBS report in part. Unga prices However, some commodities like cooking oil, maize grain, maize flour and cooking gas reported a drop of 16.6%, 5.6%, 7.1% and 10%, respectively. A spot check by TUKO.co.ke showed a 2kg of maize flour was retailing at between KSh 160 and KSh 180, depending on the brand. Cooking gas refill dropped to KSh 900 per 6kg cylinder and 2,600 for a 13kg cylinder. Last month, inflation dropped to 6.7% from 7.3% reported in July 2023 due to high food and fuel prices.  Breakdown of Payment The prices of cooking oil (salad) decreased by 1.2%, fortified maize flour (6.1%), maize grains (8.2%), potatoes (3.5%), beans (1.3%) and cabbages (2.6%) For the non-food items, only the 13kg cooking gas recorded a reduction in prices by 2.8% after the government slashed levies on Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG). BY TUKO NEWS