The cost of living in Kenya has hit a five month high. This is after the inflation measure for the month of August came in at 8.5 per cent.
Consumer prices rose 8.5 per cent from a year earlier, compared with 8.3 per cent in July, the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics said in an emailed statement Wednesday.
This marked the third month in a row that year-on-year cost of living measure crossed the upper limit target of 7.5 per cent.
The statistics body said the inflation was largely driven by average cost of food and non-alcoholic drinks which climbed 15.3 per cent. Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels Index increased by 5.6 per cent in the last 12 months.
”Furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance Index increased by 10.3 per cent in the last 12 months. Transport Index increased by 7.6 per cent,” KNBS said.
Kenya shilling officially past 120 against US dollar
The Consumer Price Index (CPI), a measure of the weighted aggregate change in retail prices paid by consumers for a given basket of goods and services increased by o.4 per cent to Sh125.58 from Sh125.05 in July.
The month-to month food and non-alcoholic beverages index increased by 0.5 per cent.
