Kenya’s inflation eased marginally to 4.5% in November 2025, down from 4.6% in October, according to the latest KNBS Consumer Price Index (CPI) report.
- •While the change is slight, the underlying data presents a clearer picture of the country’s price dynamics: inflation is stable, but the drivers remain concentrated in essential categories such as food, transport, and utilities, that directly affect household welfare.
- •The CPI rose from 146.84 in October to 147.08 in November, representing a 0.2% month-on-month increase.
- •This modest movement reflects small but mixed shifts where this calm headline number masks a set of contrasting movements across key commodities, with some easing and other tightening household budgets.
On one hand, inflation is low, predictable, showing signs of easing- a positive signal for policymakers, businesses, and consumers. On the other, the drivers of inflation are still concentrated in sectors that directly affect daily life, leaving households vulnerable to any shock in food production, transport costs, or utilities.
Food inflation remained elevated at 7.7% year-on-year, making it the single largest driver of overall inflation. In fact, food contributed 2.4 percentage points to the total 4.5% inflation rate. Within this category, November saw a mix of relief and pressure. Prices of fortified maize flour dropped by 3.8%, and sifted maize flour fell 3.2%, signalling softening in cereal markets.
Tomatoes declined by 2.1%, yet other staples moved in the opposite direction: onions increased 4.9%, kale rose 2.7%, and beef prices climbed 1.5%. These shifts demonstrate how sensitive household food baskets remain to short-term supply conditions, especially for fresh produce.
Transport inflation held at 5.1% year-on-year, but its underlying drivers shifted. Fuel prices for petrol, diesel, and kerosene remained unchanged in November, yet long-distance travel costs rose sharply. Country bus and matatu fares increased by 9.1%, illustrating that transport inflation is increasingly influenced by operational adjustments rather than pump prices alone. For many households, this meant higher costs without an underlying change in fuel markets.
Housing and utilities recorded relatively low annual inflation of 1.9%. Electricity tariffs provided some relief- 50 kWh consumption dropped 1.7%, while 200 kWh fell 1.5%. Gas prices remained stable, and rent for a single room increased modestly at 1.9% year-on-year. Together, these trends helped cushion pressures from more volatile categories such as food.
One of the most telling aspects of the November report is the gap between core inflation, which eased to 2.3%, and non-core inflation, which reached 10.1%. Core inflation reflects more stable items and has been gradually declining, indicating a subdued underlying inflation trend. Non-core inflation, driven heavily by food and energy, remains significantly higher and more volatile.
