High food prices push up inflation to 4.91pc in June

A businesswoman waits for customers at Kenyatta Market in Nairobi. High prices of food have pushed up Kenya’s inflation to 4.91 per cent in the month of June to hit a nine-month high. FILE 

By BD Reporter

High prices of food have pushed up Kenya’s inflation to 4.91 per cent in the month of June to hit a nine-month high.

Kenya Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) data shows the consumer price index for food and non-alcoholic drinks rose 0.18 per cent to 36.04 in the period under review meaning consumers paid more for food than they did last month.

Amongst the goods in the food and non-alcoholic beverages basket that rose was cabbages which rose 19 per cent to Sh58.25 a kilo.

KNBS data further shows the costs of housing, water, electricity and other fuels fell marginally by 0.03 per cent following reduced cost of electricity.

On average, the cost of consuming 50 kWh of electricity contracted 2.25 per cent to Sh543.5 in the review month.

Transport cost also fell 0.66 per cent owing to reduced pump prices of petrol and diesel.

However, paraffin prices rose by Sh2.57 to retail at Sh81.25.

High inflation levels tend to dilute the purchasing power of most households.