Kenya posted a 4.1 per cent year-on-year inflation, with food and non-alcoholic sectors being prime movers in what was the highest record in seven months.  

This is up from 3.6 per cent that was recorded in February this year, and a similar rate last recorded in September of 2024.  

Inflation rate is derived from data collected through a monthly survey of retail prices that targets a representative basket of household goods and services, with data gathered during the second and third weeks of the month from a statistically representative sample of outlets. 

Under the food and non-alcoholic beverages category, prices of potatoes (Irish), maize grain (loose) and fortified maize flour rose by 4.0, 2.9 and 2.6 per cent, respectively, between March 2025 and April 2025.  

During the same period, prices of kales (Sukuma wiki) and cabbages dropped by 2.3 per cent and 4.0 per cent, respectively. 

Conversely, the prices of wheat flour, cooking oil and traditional vegetables marginally reduced in prices over the one-month period, falling by 0.9 per cent, -1.1 per cent and –2.2 per cent respectively.  

Key food items such as maize grain in April increased to Sh66.60 from Sh64.72, with the fortified maize flour, 2kg, increasing to Sh169.41 from Sh165.05 over the period.  

“The annual inflation was mainly due to an increase in prices of commodities under the Classification of Individual Consumption by Purpose (COICOP) divisions,” the statistics office said.