NAIROBI, Kenya- In a welcome reprieve for Kenyan consumers, inflation eased in July for the second consecutive month, driven by slight reductions in key household costs such as electricity and fuel.
However, the latest survey by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) reveals that consumers continue to stretch their budgets due to rising costs in other essential items.
While the overall inflation rate dipped to 4.3pc from 4.8pc in June, some household essentials saw a price hike.
Notably, the cost of a 13kg cooking gas cylinder increased marginally from Ksh3,213.97 in June to Ksh3,219.58 in July, up from Ksh2,787.83 a year ago.
The price of a kilo of cabbages also rose, moving from Ksh75.52 in June to Ksh78.42 last month. Additionally, the price of a liter of cooking oil edged up to Ksh328.73 from Ksh326.36 in June.
Despite these increases, reductions in other areas helped ease the overall cost of living. The Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages Index decreased by 0.5pc between June and July, with significant price drops in tomatoes (5.5pc), brown wheat flour (4.2pc), onion-leeks and bulbs (4.1pc), and sifted maize flour (3.3pc).
The Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas, and Other Fuels Index saw a 0.4pc decline, primarily due to decreases in the prices of 200 kWh of electricity (down 9.4pc), 50 kWh of electricity (down 4.4pc), and kerosene (down 0.8pc).
The Transport Index experienced a slight 0.1pc drop between June and July, driven by decreases in petrol (0.5pc) and diesel (0.9pc) prices.
As of now, the retail prices in Nairobi for Super Petrol, Diesel, and Kerosene stand at KSh188.84, KSh171.60, and KSh161.75, respectively.
While the easing of inflation provides some relief, the mixed trends in household costs highlights the ongoing challenges faced by Kenyan consumers.
