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Kenya's Jan. inflation rises to 6.99 pct

Xinhua, February 1, 2017 Adjust font size:

Kenya's overall monthly inflation rose marginally to 6.99 percent in January from to 6.35 percent in December 2016 driven by increase in the cost of food due to prevailing drought conditions, the statistics bureau said on Tuesday.

The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics said the Consumer Price Index (CPI) computed using the geometric mean approach increased by 1.75 percent from 175.18 in December 2016 to 176.93 in January.

"Between December 2016 and January, Food and Non-Alcoholic Drinks' Index increased by 1.66 percent,' the bureau said in a statement released in Nairobi.

"This was attributed to increases in prices of cabbages, spinach, kales, maize flour, wheat flour and maize grain which were partly contributed by prevailing drought conditions. The year on year food inflation stood at 12.54 percent in January," it said.

Over the same review period, Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels' Index rose by 0.33 percent partly due to increase in cost of electricity, house rents and charcoal which outweighed price decrease in the coast of cooking gas and kerosene.

The bureau said despite a notable decrease in the cost of diesel, the Transport Index increased by 0.60 percent in January compared to December 2016.

The Education cost Index recorded a month to month inflation rate at 2.28 percent within the same period.

Analysts said the marginal increase in inflation could be partly attributed to heavy rains pounding most parts of the country which are hampering transportation of food even as crops are destroyed in the farms.

The prices were obtained from selected retail outlets in 25 data collection zones located in Nairobi and 13 other urban centres. Endit