Despite a general fall in the prices of many household items, Kenyans are spending more on vegetables.

In July, cabbage, tomatoes, and onions increased in price compared with last year. Falls in other items such as maize and rice ensured the overall inflation dropped to 4.3%.

Tomato prices went up 28.7% to Sh. 98 a kilogram in July from Sh. 76.7 last year. Onion lovers will now pay 32.8 % more, from Sh. 129.79 to Sh. 171.41 per kilogram.

Cabbage registered the highest increase, where the price rose 46.1 % from Sh. 53.7 to Sh. 78.4 per kilogram.

The households in Kenya, however, got a reprieve following a 22.3 % reduction in the price of sugar which dropped to Sh. 164.42 per kilogram from a similar period last year, according to KNBS.

White wheat flour was reduced by 10.9 % to an average of Sh. 177.07 for a two-kilogramme packet.

The highest drop in price was recorded in maize flour, which is a staple for the majority of Kenyans.

Households paid an average of Sh. 130.4 for a two-kilogramme packet of sifted maize flour, a drop of 35.8 % from Sh. 202.93 in July 2023.

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“In the review period food prices have remained relatively stable, with an annual increase of 5.6 per cent in July, matching the previous month’s rate,” KNBS said in their monthly update.

Prices of fortified maize flour reduced by 35.1% to Sh. 147.30 per two-kilogram packet. That for loose maize grain dropped by 29.8 % to Sh. 60.16 per kilogram on average in July.

The average cost of housing, water, electricity, cooking gas and other fuels increased by 3.9 % compared to last year but reduced marginally by 0.4%  recently.