May inflation eases to 5pc despite rising food and petrol prices

This is the fifth month in a row that the cost of living measure has dropped since December when it stood at 8.01 per cent.

A water melon trader in Kisii Daraja Mbili market arranges his goods: Food takes up the largest share (36 per cent) of the basket of goods that is used to calculate inflation, meaning it is the main driver of the cost of living. PHOTO | BENSON MOMANYI | NATION MEDIA GROUP 

In Summary

• This is the fifth month in a row that the cost of living measure has dropped since December when it stood at 8.01 per cent.
• Food items that recorded price increases include sifted maize flour, beans, tomatoes and oranges while cooking oil prices were down marginally alongside spinach and cooking gas.

By NEVILLE OTUKI
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Inflation eased to 5.0 per cent in May despite increases in the price of food and petroleum as electricity bills remained unchanged.

The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) data shows that inflation eased from 5.27 per cent in April and 6.45 per cent a month earlier.
This is the fifth month in a row that the cost of living measure has dropped since December when it stood at 8.01 per cent.
Food items that recorded price increases include sifted maize flour, beans, tomatoes and oranges while cooking oil prices were down marginally alongside spinach and cooking gas.
Food takes up the largest share (36 per cent) of the basket of goods that is used to calculate inflation, meaning it is the main driver of the cost of living.
The energy regulator mid-May raised the prices of diesel, petrol and kerosene to match the rebounding global crude prices.
The KNBS data shows that electricity prices remained unchanged.
Homes that consumed 200 kilowatt hours (kWh) in May paid Sh3,398 while those that used 50 units were set back Sh534.
The last time inflation was below 5.0 per cent was in June 2013 when it stood at 4.91 per cent.
At 5.0 per cent, May’s inflation falls within the central Bank of Kenya’s preferred range of 2.5 per and 7.5 per cent