Kenyan households are grappling with a higher cost of living as inflation climbed to 3.5 per cent in February 2025, up from 3.3 per cent in January, according to the latest data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS).

The surge in prices has been largely driven by a sharp increase in the cost of food and non-alcoholic beverages, which rose by 6.4 per cent, alongside a 0.7 per cent uptick in transport costs.

Despite this general rise, the cost of housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels recorded a 0.8 per cent decline over the past year.

These three sectors collectively account for more than 57 per cent of household expenditures, highlighting their significant influence on inflation trends.

A closer look at price changes reveals that sugar, cooking oil, and tomatoes saw notable increases of 3.2, 1.6, and 1.3 per cent, respectively, between January and February 2025.

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Conversely, wheat flour and Irish potatoes experienced price drops of 2.4 per cent and 1.8 per cent, respectively.

The rising cost of food continues to strain household budgets, exacerbating economic pressures on Kenyan consumers.

Gas prices increased by 0.6 per cent within the month, contributing to a marginal 0.1 per cent rise in the housing and utilities index.

However, electricity costs eased, with the price of 50 kWh and 200 kWh power dropping by 1.4 per cent and 1.2 per cent, respectively.

Transport costs saw a modest rise of 0.1 per cent, largely driven by a 4.8 per cent increase in domestic airfares.

However, petrol and diesel prices remained unchanged compared to January 2025.

The Consumer Price Index (CPI), which measures the cost of a fixed basket of goods and services, edged up from 142.68 in January to 143.12 in February, translating to a monthly inflation rate of 0.3 per cent.

The inflation rate is based on data collected from retail outlets in urban areas across 50 designated zones.

While core inflation, which excludes highly volatile items, held steady at 2.0 per cent, non-core inflation—which includes food and non-alcoholic beverages—jumped to 8.2 per cent.

Food inflation alone accounted for 1.6 percentage points of the overall non-core inflation.

As Kenyans struggle with these rising costs, many are left wondering when relief will come.

The latest figures paint a bleak picture for consumers who continue to bear the brunt of escalating prices, making it harder for families to afford basic necessities.