This archive report was first published on 4 November 2019.
On November 4, 2019, the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics released data showing a significant jump in inflation rates, rising to 4.95 percent for the month of October.
This marked a significant increase from the 18-month low of 3.83 percent recorded in September, and was largely attributed to food price rallies, particularly in maize prices.
Maize prices topped the list of foods that increased, with the price of a kilogramme of loose maize grain rising by 5.82 percent to an average of Sh50.82.
Compared to the same period last year, the price increase was almost double, at 47.17 percent, and the price of a kilogramme of sifted maize flour increased by 4.58 percent on average.
Other food items, such as tomatoes, spinach, kales, and cabbages, also recorded price increases, with tomatoes rising by 4.44 percent to Sh90.28 per kilogramme.
While the October inflation rate figure is still within the government's target range of between 2.5 percent and 7.5 percent, policymakers cannot afford to rest on their laurels.
Given the major role that food prices play in determining the inflation rate, the food price rally should spur policymakers to come up with solutions to turn around the trend.
