May inflation rises to 5.87pc on greater food, petrol costs

The cost of living has soared back to highs seen in March with May inflation rising to 5.87 per cent after falling to 5.76 per cent in April.

According to new data from the consumer price index by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), the spike in the cost of living is greatly attributable to greater petrol costs during the month.

The transport index for instance marked a 0.69 per cent increase after a 2.87 per cent rise in petrol pump prices on May 14.

At the same time, the food index increased by 0.32 per cent as some food items marked price increments.

Among the food items marking increased prices in the past month include onions, sukumawiki, cabbages, tomatoes and beef.

The spike in the costs of the items was enough to offset price cool down in commodities such as oranges, potatoes and sugar.

Housing and energy costs meanwhile eased by 0.15 per cent from a decrease in the prices of charcoal and electricity.

The greater consumer prices are expected to weigh heavily on Kenyans by serving to reduce the disposable incomes amidst the continued stay of the COVID-19 crisis.

The rate of inflation in May ties up to the cost of living booked in April this year and is the highest since April 2020.

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Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) Inflation

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