Potatoes, Sugar and other goods that pushed October inflation to 9.6 percent
The average market price of a kilo of Irish potatoes surged by 12.5 percent to retail at Kes90.78 at the end of October compared to a month earlier, latest inflation data from the Kenya Bureau of Statistics show.
In the period under focus, a kilo of Sugar also went up by 12 percent to Kes154.95 in October up from Kes138.35 in September.
The market prices of oranges, sukuma wiki, mangoes as well as beans also ticked up piling more pressure on consumers in the month of October.
October inflation hit a 64-month high of 9.6 percent from 9.2 percent in September as food, energy, and transport costs swelled in the period.
Other commodities that also posted a significant rise in costs which has, in turn, pushed up Kenya’s inflation in October to 9.4 percent were electricity 2.4 percent for consumers of 50KWh, spirits 2 percent for 250ml.
“The housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels’ index, increased by 0.5 percent between September 2022 and October 2022 due to increase in prices of 50Kilowatts and 200 Kilowatts electricity units, which increased by 2.4 percent and 1.8 percent, respectively,” KNBS noted.
“Transport index increased slightly by 1 percent between 2022 October and September 2022 due to increase in matatu fares, taxi fares among others.”
In the period, however, the prices of diesel, and petrol dropped slightly by 1.2 percent and 0.6 percent, respectively, although well above October 2021 prices.
During the same period, prices of cooking oil (salad) and carrots dropped by 3.5 percent and 2.4 percent, respectively.
In addition, the price of maize flour sifted dropped by 1.7 percent between September 2022 and October 2022 though relative to October 2021 the prices remained high.
