Kenya’s month-on-month inflation in December dropped 0.1 points to 6.6 per cent driven by an increase in prices of commodities under transport, housing, water, electricity, gas and food and non-alcoholic beverages.
Data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) Consumer Price Index (CPI) shows the country’s inflation dropped from 6.8 per cent in November.
“This was mainly driven by increases in prices of commodities under Transport (11.7 per cent); Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and other fuels (8.3 per cent); and Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages (7.7 per cent) between December 2022 and December 2023,” stated KNBS.
Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages index rose 0.3 per cent during the review period.
Prices of one kilogramme of carrots, kale “Sukuma-wiki”, mutton/goat meat and beef with bones increased by 14.5, 6.2. 5.1 and 3.6 per cent, respectively between November 2023 and December 2023.
As a result, the prices of 1kg of carrots jumped to Ksh100.67 from Ksh87.89 in November and 1 kg of kales to Ksh64.44 from Ksh60.65 the previous month.
The price of 1 kg of mutton/goat meat rose to Ksh730.17 from Ksh694.77 in November whereas the price of 1 kg of beef with bones increased to Ksh603.51 from Ksh582.63 a month prior.
Read: Kenya’s November Inflation At 6.8Pc
During the same period, however, prices of mangoes, potatoes, maize flour-sifted and fortified maize flour went down by 5.7, 4.9, 3.8 and 3.7 per cent, respectively.
This translated to 1 kg of mangoes, 1 kg of potatoes, a 2 kg packet of maize flour sifted and 2 kg of fortified maize flour to retail at Ksh103.66, Ksh98.53, Ksh155.07 and Ksh175.89 respectively.
The Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels’ Index increased by 0.4 per cent between November 2023 and December 2023 on the back of increase in prices of 200 kWh and 50 kWh of electricity by 1.0 per cent and 1.2 per cent, respectively.
The price of a litre of Kerosene dropped 2.0 per cent during the same period.
“Despite a drop in the prices of petrol and diesel by 2.3 per cent and 1.0 per cent, respectively, between November 2023 and December 2023, the Transport Index went up by 0.5 per cent during the period, mainly due to an increase in country bus fares for some routes,” stated KNBS.