A significant increase in the price of several food items including maize flour, potatoes, tomatoes, milk cabbages, beans and onions pushed up cost of living in April.
The increases are attributed to dry weather conditions that have been prevailing for the first four months of this year. It is now hoped that with the onset of short rains, this will improve supply of food items and bring down their prices.
Data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) show that inflation rate stood at 7.08 per cent in April, 2015 compared to 6.31 per cent in March, 2015. Between March and April this year, Food and non-alcoholic drinks index increased by 3.92 per cent, followed by tobacco alcoholic beverages and narcotics at 0.53 per cent.
Lower income
The high food prices affected mainly the lower income groups where the rate of inflation increased at significantly higher rates compared to middle and upper income categories, according to the bureau.
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Over the same period, Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels' Index, increased by 0.23 per cent. Although there was a slight fall in the cost of electricity and cooking gas, in aggregate these and other observed price decreases were slightly outweighed by increased costs of house rents, kerosene, charcoal and other utilities.
During the same review period, the Transport Index almost stagnated owing to an almost balanced falls and rises of prices for goods and services within this category.
The average price of 2 kg sifted maize flour increased to Sh106.90 in April from Sh94.38 in March 2015 while that of a 500 ml packet of fresh milk increased from Sh51.42 to Sh53.46. Since January, 2015, the overall inflation rate has been increasing from 5.53, February 5.61 and March 6.31 per cent.
