Prices of various basic items recorded a slight increase in February 2025 compared to January 2025 according to the latest report released by the Kenya Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) on Friday, February 28, 2025.

KNBS noted that 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.

The finding was a clear indication that the general prices of the level of basic goods shot up by 3.5 per cent for the last 28 days compared to January 2025.

KNBS attributed the upsurge to the rising prices of items in food, non-beverage, and transport.

“The price increase was primarily driven by rising prices in the food and non-alcoholic beverages category (6.4 per cent); and the transport category (0.7 per cent) over the same period.

Nonetheless, KNBS observed that there was a decline in the prices of housing, water, electricity, gas and fuel

“The overall index increased from 142.68 in January 2025 to 143.12 in February 2025, resulting in a monthly inflation of 0.3 per cent,” KNBS announced.

Items whose prices increased

From the report, the prices of sugar, cooking oil (salad) and tomatoes went up by 3.2, 1.6 and 1.3 per cent, respectively between
January 2025 and February 2025.

Mutton recorded a 0.2 per cent increase from Ksh812.71 in January 2025 to Ksh814.04 per kilogram in February 2025, while beef recorded a similar rise from Ksh765.05 to Ksh766.68 per kilogram.

Fresh unpacked cow milk also recorded a price surge from Ksh72.37 to Ksh72.61, setting a 0.3 per cent increase, whereas the price for sukuma wiki shot from Ksh82.93 per kg to Ksh83.32.

Consumers were also forced to dig deep into their pockets as prices for bulb onion recorded a slight jump from Ksh101.37 per kg to Ksh102.37 in February 2025. A similar trend was observed in the prices of tomatoes, which increased from Ksh78.88 per kg to Ksh79.88.

Cooking oil recorded an increase from Ksh344.68 per litre to Ksh350.10, while sugar retailed at Ksh166.45 per kg from Ksh161.34.

Miraa was among those that were hit as prices increased from Ksh2,325.73 to Ksh2,430.66 per kg.

Tickets for local flights also increased from Ksh12,219.37 to Ksh12,808.89, mainly due to Valentine’s season.

During the same period, prices of wheat flour (white) and potatoes (Irish) dropped by 2.4 per cent and 1.8 per cent, respectively. Prices of 50 kWh electricity and 200 kWh electricity also declined by 1.4 per cent and 1.2 per cent, respectively, in the same period.