Inflation in Kenya for the month of March soared to 5.6 percent down from 5.1 percent in February to indicate a high cost of living.
This was backed by a rise in the price of food, housing, water, fuel, gas, electricity and transportation cost.
According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) the price of cooking oil, wheat flour and tomatoes by 6.50%, 4.47% and 4.22%, respectively, relative to February 2022.
Prices of food items in March 2022 were relatively high compared with prices of food items recorded in March 2021.
The month also saw a rise in furnishings, household equipment and routine household equipment index by 1.36 percent between February 2022 and March 2022.
KNBS attributes this trend to an increase in prices of laundry/bar soap and detergents, among other items.
The March Electricity, Gas, Water and Other fuels index increased by 0.71 percent between February 2022 and March 2022.
During this period, the price of cooking gas (LPG) rose by 7.76 percent.
Transport Index increased by 0.63 percent between February 2022 and March 2022, pushed up by the increased price of petrol and diesel, which rose by 3.83 percent and 4.49 percent, respectively.
An increase in basic commodity prices is anchored on the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine that has seen the global supply of oil and gas tampered with.
