Food, energy price hikes yield higher inflation in July, says KNBS
Business
By
Ronald Kipruto
| Aug 01, 2025
Job Kimani sorts out a variety of fruit products at the Eldoret main market in Uasin Gishu County [Peter Ochieng, Standard]
Kenya’s inflation rose by 4.1 per cent in July compared to 3.8 per cent recorded in June, according to the latest data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS).
The rise in the annual inflation rate has been attributed to an increase in prices of commodities in the last 12 months.
Between July 2024 and last month, prices of products categorised as food and non-alcoholic beverages shot up by 6.8 per cent while the transport index rose 4.1 per cent.
Meanwhile, the cost of housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuel products surged to hit 1.3 per cent.
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“Overall year-on-year (annual) inflation rate as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) was 4.1 per cent, in July 2025; an increase from an inflation rate of 3.8 per cent recorded in June 2025. The month-to-month inflation rate was 0.1 per cent in July 2025,” read part of the bureau’s monthly report.
“These three major categories together account for over 57 per cent of the total weight across the 13 major expenditure categories. Additionally, Alcoholic Beverages, Tobacco, and Narcotics recorded an inflation of 5.1 per cent in July 2025,’’ the report added.
The cost of a liter of cooking oil declined by -0.6 per cent over the last one month, Oranges (1 Kg) by - 2.6 per cent, Potatoes (1 Kg) by - 2.0 per cent, Beans (1 Kg) by - 0.5 per cent, and Fresh Packeted Cow Milk (500 ml) by - 0.2 per cent.
However, commodities such as Maize Flour - Loose (1 Kg), Sugar (1 Kg), and Sukuma Wiki (1 Kg) saw sharp price increases of 1.6 per cent, 1.4 per cent 1.3 per cent, respectively.
Other price hikes were recorded for commodities like Tomatoes (1 Kg) by 1.2 per cent, Maize Grain - Loose (1 Kg) by 1.2 per cent, Onions (1 Kg) by 0.9 per cent, and Beef - With Bones (1 Kg) by 0.5 per cent.
Prices of non-food items also changed with Electricity (200 Kilowatts) declining by -1.4 per cent while Cooking Gas/LPG (13 Kg), Monthly House Rent -Single Room, Kerosene/Paraffin (1 Liter), and Electricity (50 Kilowatts) increased in the last month by 0.4, 0.1, 6.7, 0.6 per cent, respectively.
KNBS further noted the Overall Consumer Price Index from 139.94 in July last year to 145.74 in July 2025.