NAIROBI, Kenya, March 31 – Kenya’s inflation rate has risen to 6.47 percent in April from the 5.56 rate reported in March, an increase which was mainly due to the increase in fuel prices which were reviewed upwards a month ago, the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics has indicated.
The rise in fuel costs pushed the transport index by 6.88 percent while housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels rose by 5.47 percent between April 2021 and April 2022.
The prices of petrol and diesel rose by 7.30 percent and 8.50 percent respectively.
The prices of commodities under food and non-alcoholic beverages rose by 3.03 percent with the prices of potatoes rising by 10 percent, wheat flour and milk rising by 6.12 and 6.29 percent respectively.
“During the same period, prices of sugar decreased by 1.12 percent. Prices of food items in April 2022 were relatively high compared with prices of food items recorded in April 2021,” KNBS said.
As compared to 2021, there was an increase in prices of commodities under; food and non-alcoholic beverages (12.15 percent); furnishings, household equipment, and routine household maintenance (7.15 percent); transport (6.88 percent), and housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels (5.47 percent).
The price of cooking gas (LPG) also rose by 7.76 percent with the average price of refilling a 13 kg cylinder standing at Sh2,866 from Sh2,659.
An increase in prices of laundry/bar soap and detergents saw an increase in furnishings, household equipment, and the routine household equipment Index rose by 0.72 percent.
The Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels’ Index, increased by 0.71 percent between March 2022 and April 2022.
During this period, the price of kerosene and house rent for a single room rose by 9.48 per cent and 0.19 per cent, respectively.
