Kenya’s Inflation Rate Leaves Families Struggling

In February, according to the latest data from the Kenya Bureau of Statistics, Kenya’s inflation rate increased slightly by 0.2 per cent. In January, the overall inflation stood at 9 per cent and rose up to 9.2 percent as households continued to face high costs of fuel, food and housing.

There was an increase of 0.6 percent from an index of 129.29 in January 2023 to 130.13 in February 2023 of the Consumer Price Index. The Consumer Price Index which is the measure of the percentage change in the prices paid by consumers for a market basket of goods and services.

According to KNBS, the inflation between February 2022 and February 2023 was a result of an increase in price commodities under food and nonalcoholic beverages (13.3%), housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels (7.6%), and transport (12.9$).

Between January and February, due to an increase in gas/LPG prices by 4.7%, housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels index increased by 0.4%. The electricity prices however decreased during the period while the transport index remained the same as well as diesel and petrol prices.

Meanwhile, food and nonalcoholic beverages index increased by 1.2% between the months with most vegetable prices. Cabbage and carrots increased by 11.3% each while kale-Sukuma wiki and tomato prices increased by 11.0 and 7.8 per cent, respectively. 

Prices of mangoes, sugar, and fortified maize flour dropped by 4.8, 3.2, and 2.5 per cent, respectively.

Many households in Kenya are being subjected to struggles in trying to make ends meet as their cost of living remains persistent. While having not recovered from the pandemic, policymakers will need to come up with strategies to address the cost of living challenge,