Inflation rate hit 15.53 pc in July up from 5.42 pc in January

There is no reprieve for Kenyan consumers as inflation rate maintains an upward trend.

The overall inflation rate has risen by 10.11 percentage points in seven months hitting 15.53 per cent in July 2011 up from 5.42 pc in January 2011. The rate stood at 14.49 per cent in June 2011.

In statistics released by Kenya National Bureau of Statistics for July 2011, Consumer Price Index increased by 1.27 per cent from 120.91 percent in June to 122.44 per cent in July.

The upward trend is attributed to cost increases in respect of maize flour, maize grain, sugar and rice.

The average price of a 2kg packet of sifted maize flour rose from Sh130 in June to Sh136 in July.

Sugar price rose by 19.43 per cent from an average of Sh102.95 per kilogram in June to Sh122.38 in July.

However between June and July there were notable falls in the prices of potatoes, onions, sukuma wiki (kales), cabbages and carrots by 4.03, 6.62, 1.16, 1.34 and 2.40 per cent respectively.

Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels index went up by 0.83 percent during the period under review (June-July 2011) mainly due to slow but continued increases in the cost of house rents and cooking fuels.

Restaurants and Hotels’ index increased by 2.17 per cent between the same period due to increases in the cost of foods.

Price of chips/chicken went up by 8.19 percent while that of Ugali (corn meal) went up by 3.94 per cent.