Kenya’s inflation rate has risen to 6.47 per cent in April from the 5.56 rate reported in March, backed by the increase in fuel prices which were reviewed upwards a month ago, the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics has indicated.
This is the highest inflation rate recorded since last September when it stood at 6.91 per cent.
The rise in fuel costs pushed the transport index by 6.88 per cent while housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels rose by 5.47 per cent between April 2021 and April 2022.
Consequently, the prices of petrol and diesel rose by 7.30 per cent and 8.50 per cent respectively.
“Prices of food items in April 2022 were relatively high compared with prices of food items recorded in April 2021. Furnishings, Household Equipment and Routine Household Equipment Index increased by 0.72 per cent between March 2022 and April 2022. This was due to an increase in prices of laundry/bar soap and detergents, among other items.” KNBS managing director Macdonald Obudho in a statement.
The prices of commodities under food and non-alcoholic beverages rose by 3.03 per cent with the prices of potatoes rising by 10 per cent, wheat flour and milk rising by 6.12 and 6.29 per cent respectively.
A spike in the global cost of edible vegetable oils such as crude palm oil, sunflower, soybean and corn oil by an average of 45 per cent in the last year has sent the prices of final products such as cooking oil, soaps and cosmetics with glycerin through the roof, squeezing the incomes of most households.
The KNBS data shows an 800-gramme bar of soap is currently, selling for kes 149.23, a 23.53 per cent climb year-on-year.
The Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels Index also increased by 0.71 per cent between March 2022 and April 2022.
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