Kenya's overall inflation rate falls to 3.73 pct in April

NAIROBI, April 30 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's overall monthly inflation fell to 3.73 percent in April, from 4.18 percent in March, the statistics bureau said on Monday.

The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics said the Consumer Price Index (CPI), computed using the geometric mean approach, rose by 1.35 percent from 190.62 in March to 193.18 in April.

"Between March and April 2018, Food and Non-Alcoholic Drinks' Index increased by 1.59 percent. This was due to increase in prices of some foodstuffs outweighing decreases recorded in respect of others," the bureau said in a statement issued in Nairobi.

Year-on-year food inflation dropped from 2.19 percent in March to 0.26 percent in April, the bureau said.

Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels' Index surged by 3.24 percent in March, the statistics bureau said.

"This was mainly attributed to significant increase in prices of cooking fuels with charcoal recording the highest increase of 16.87 percent," said the bureau.

Transport Index increased by 0.16 percent over the same period, mainly on account of reduction in pump prices of both petrol and diesel, it said.

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