Kenyan households felt the sharpest edge of April’s inflation where it is least avoidable, the daily commute, as a surge in fuel costs cascaded through the transport system and into household budgets.
- •New data shows transport emerged as the most aggressive driver of month-on-month price growth, outpacing all other categories and translating almost instantly into higher matatu, bus and boda boda fares across the country.
- •Overall inflation rose to 5.6% in the 12 months to April, but the underlying pressure is far more pronounced at the consumer level where transport costs jumped 6.5% between March and April and are now 10% higher than a year ago.
- •Higher commuting costs immediately squeeze disposable income, but they also feed into the cost of moving goods, pushing up prices of food and other essentials and reinforcing inflationary pressure across sectors
Petrol prices rose to KSh 197.60 per litre, while diesel, critical for public service vehicles and freight, surged to KSh 196.63. With fuel accounting for a significant share of operating costs, transport operators moved quickly to reprice fares, passing the burden directly to commuters.
Within Nairobi, peak-hour fares on routes such as Karen to the central business district have risen to about KSh 120, up from KSh 100. For long-distance travellers, the Nairobi–Kisumu route now averages KSh 1,900 per trip, an increase from KSh 1,750 in March.
Even short-distance mobility has not been spared, with boda boda rides in towns such as Narok rising to around KSh 120 from KSh 100 in just a month. Broadly, city fares increased by 7.1%, inter-town travel by 9.7%, while motorcycle transport costs rose by over six per cent, reflecting a system-wide adjustment to higher fuel input costs..
At the same time, other core household expenses present a mixed but still burdensome picture.
“Between March and April 2026, price movements across selected food items showed mixed trends. The cost of cabbages and oranges declined by 3.3 per cent and 1.9 per cent, respectively. In contrast, prices for irish potatoes and salad cooking oil increased by 2.8 per cent and 2.7 per cent, 8.8% respectively. Tomatoes experienced a significant price surge of 9.0 per Over the twelve months until April 2026, the Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages division index rose by 8.8%. cent,” the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics says.
Electricity costs offered marginal relief, with the average monthly bill easing slightly to KSh 1,288.99 for 50 kWh and KSh 5,656.88 for 200 kWh. This was, however, overshadowed by rising energy costs elsewhere, with a 13-kilogramme cylinder of cooking gas jumping to KSh 3,361.56, marking a notable increase within the month.
