Inflation rises to 3.3% in January as consumer prices go up

Consumer prices in Kenya increased by 3.3 per cent in January, marking a rise from the 3.0 per cent recorded in December, according to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS).

This increase in headline inflation, which reflects the overall rise in prices over the past year, comes as the national statistician for the first time separated the price changes of food and fuel from other essential goods and services.

"The year-on-year headline inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), stood at 3.3 per cent in January 2025," Macdonald Obudho, the Director General of KNBS.

He explained that this means the overall price level was 3.3% higher than in January 2024.

Core inflation, which excludes food, fuel, and transport, stood at 2.0 per cent in January, slightly lower than the 2.2 per cent recorded in December.

Meanwhile, non-core inflation, which includes food and fuel, saw a sharp rise to 7.1 per cent from 5.2 per cent in December.

Food inflation, which takes up a large portion of the cost-of-living index, increased by 6.1 per cent.

Fuel costs went up by 0.7 per cent in the same period. The rise in food prices has particularly affected household budgets, as essential commodities become more expensive.

At the same time, while households cut back on transport spending, education costs rose. Parents with children in private primary schools paid an average of Sh30,935 in January, up from Sh30,106.14 in December, an increase of 2.8 per cent.

Other Topics To Read

• Headlines
• kenya inflation rate
• kenya inflation
• Inflation rises to 3.3% in January as consumer prices go up
• Business