This archive report was first published on 1 October 2019.
On September 30, 2018, Anthony Nchore displayed his fresh produce at Kisii Municipal market. [Sammy Omingo]
Kenya's inflation rate dropped to a 17-month low in September 2019, easing budgets for millions of Kenyan households. According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), the country's inflation rate for the month of September stood at 3.83 per cent, down from five per cent recorded in August.
KNBS attributed the decrease in inflation rate to a drop in prices of some foodstuffs, outweighing increases recorded in others. The price of sugar, for example, registered a 24 per cent drop with a kilogramme retailing at Sh106 last month from Sh140 last year.
However, the price of loose maize grains, green grams, and maize flour registered the highest price increases, with a kilogramme of each going up by 18, 18, and 22 per cent respectively in September this year compared to a similar period last year.
According to the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FewsNet), 2.6 million people are currently experiencing crisis or worse outcomes, a 60 per cent increase in the food insecure population from the 1.6 million in May.
Long rains maize production outlook is estimated at 20 per cent below the 2018 bumper harvest and 10 per cent below the average 2016 harvest, explained FewsNet.
SEE ALSO: What you need to know about 2019 Census
