This archive report was first published on 31 October 2019.
Kenya's inflation rate rose to 4.95% in October, marking a halt to two consecutive months of easing cost of living.
The increase, from an 18-month low of 3.83% in September, was driven by higher prices of foodstuffs and cigarettes, with the latter being influenced by a new excise duty.
According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), prices of several foodstuffs were significantly higher in October compared to the previous month.
KNBS director general Zachary Mwangi stated, "Prices of several foodstuffs were significantly higher during the month under review compared to the prices recorded during the previous month."
The food and non-alcoholic index rose by 0.48% to 252.74, with prices of loose grain maize flour, sifted maize flour, and tomatoes increasing by 5.82%, 4.58%, and 4.44% respectively.
Meanwhile, the alcohol beverages, tobacco, and narcotics index increased by 1.97% due to higher prices of cigarettes, with a packet of cigarette averaging Sh147.47, a 7.42% increase from Sh137.28 in September.
The October inflation figure is within the government's target range of 2.5% to 7.5%, with the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) expecting inflation to remain within this range in the near term.
CBK governor Patrick Njoroge attributed this expectation to lower food prices due to favourable weather and lower electricity prices reflecting reduced usage of expensive power sources.
