Cost of living up as inflation rises to 3.5% in February
The prices of sugar, cooking oil (salad), and tomatoes went up by 3.2, 1.6, and 1.3 percent respectively in February, KNBS data shows.
The rate of inflation in Kenya increased for the fourth consecutive month in February to 3.5 percent on account of increasing cost of food, energy and transport.
According to an update from the Kenya Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), the country's core inflation remained at 2 percent during the month under focus, reflecting a flat growth from January, while non-core inflation increased to 8.2 percent in February from 7.1 percent during the month earlier.
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Statistics shows that the surge in inflation in February was attributable to increase the prices of food and non-alcoholic products, which recorded a 6.4 percent jump. At the same time, KNBS said costs within the transport sector experienced a 0.7 percent increase during the second month of the year.
“The annual consumer price inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) was 3.5 per cent in February 2025, up from 3.3 per cent in January 2025. This is an indication that the general price level in February 2025 was 3.5 per cent higher than it was in February 2024,” stated KNBS.
What's more, across the housing, water, electricity, gas, and fuel spending, consumers reported a marginal 0.1 percent increase between January and February 2025.
“The increase was attributable to an increase in the price of gas/LPG by 0.6 per cent between January 2025 and February 2025. Prices of 50kWh electricity and 200 kWh electricity however, declined by 1.4 per cent and 1.2 per cent, respectively in the same period,” it noted.
Additionally, the market prices of sugar, cooking oil (salad), and tomatoes went up by 3.2, 1.6, and 1.3 percent, respectively, KNBS stated. However, the prices of wheat flour (white) and potatoes (Irish) decreased by 2.4 percent and 1.8 percent, respectively.
On February 5, the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) cut the benchmark interest rate for the fourth meeting in a row to 10.75 percent, aiming to stimulate economic revival by encouraging banks to lend more.
In its update, the CBK said inflation was expected to remain below the midpoint of the 2.5 percent to 7.5 percent target range in the near term.
