Inflation Stories

World Bank warns of mounting fiscal pressure as Kenya faces debt distress risk
Alfred Onyango  |  May 27, 2025

The lender highlights the narrowing room for manoeuvre in the country’s budget, driven by ballooning debt servicing costs, persistent revenue shortfal...

Economic outlook: Kenya’s inflation climb raises prospect of monetary tightening in coming months
Alfred Onyango  |  May 27, 2025

The country’s resurgent inflation, driven by surging electricity and fuel costs, could force policymakers to consider rate hikes to keep price growth...

Consumers to benefit from decline in global commodity prices, says World Bank
Alfred Onyango  |  May 10, 2025

However, despite the anticipated fall, the lender notes that prices will remain higher than pre-Covid levels, reflecting ongoing supply chain challeng...

Global food prices climb for third straight month amid soaring cereal, meat and dairy costs
Alfred Onyango  |  May 09, 2025

The surge in global commodity prices comes at a time when Kenya’s inflation has also been on the rise, mirroring a trend that began in October last ye...

Private sector activities rise to a 27-month high in April on strong customer demand
Alfred Onyango  |  May 07, 2025

Job creation also quickened in the period under review, the strongest observed in nearly one year, as firms looked to ease pressure on workloads.

Why Kenyans have to wait longer to feel real benefits of strengthening shilling
Alfred Onyango  |  May 03, 2025

Inflation has now risen for six straight months, hitting 4.1 per cent in April, up from 2.7 per cent in October 2024, even as the Kenyan Shilling bega...

Good news for employees as state moves to increase tax exempt on allowances
Alfred Onyango  |  May 02, 2025

Ideally, if the bill sails through to become law, it means employees who receive per diem payments for travel, accommodation, or other work-related ex...

Kenyan workers observe Labour Day amid pay cut woes, job losses and inflation
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  May 01, 2025

As inflation continues to outpace wage growth, workers are being forced to make tough decisions, cutting back on non-essential purchases and adopting...

Increased food, energy costs push inflation to 4.1% in April
Alfred Onyango  |  Apr 30, 2025

The record marks the sixth consecutive month of rising living costs since October last year, highlighting increasing worries about affordability and e...

Kenyan shilling rebounds with 14 per cent year-on-year gain in Q1, 2025
Alfred Onyango  |  Apr 19, 2025

In real figure terms, the 14 per cent gain during the quarter means importers in the country were spending Sh14 less to buy a dollar for importation c...

Increased food prices push March inflation to 3.6%
Alfred Onyango  |  Apr 02, 2025

The record marks the fifth consecutive month of rising inflation since October last year.

Relief for Kenyans as food prices drop in March after months of rising costs
Alfred Onyango  |  Apr 01, 2025

The March edition of food security update by the World Bank shows a drop in the agricultural, cereal and export price indices by 8, 4 and 11 percent,...

Kenyans struggle with low purchasing power amid high cost of living
Margaret Wanjiru  |  Mar 05, 2025

Kenya's annual inflation rate rose to a five-month high of 3.5 per cent in February 2025, from 3.3 per cent in January driven by higher prices of food...

Inflation up to 3.5 per cent in February on increased food and transport costs
Alfred Onyango  |  Feb 28, 2025

Notably, core inflation, which measures the cost of living excluding volatile components like food and energy prices from the overall Consumer Price I...

Headteachers urge government to raise school fees citing rising costs, inflation
Lucy Mumbi  |  Feb 18, 2025

The proposal suggests that fees in national schools be raised from the current Sh53,554 to Sh73,182 per year, an increase of Sh19,628.

Australia overtakes Germany, Saudi Arabia as fastest-growing source of Kenyan remittances
Lucy Mumbi  |  Feb 17, 2025

Overall, remittances from Kenyans abroad grew by 18.03 per cent year-on-year to nearly $4.95 billion (Sh637.93 billion), marking the highest growth in...

Consumers brace for tougher times as report shows global rise in food prices
Alfred Onyango  |  Feb 07, 2025

Ideally, when agricultural, cereal and export price indices increase, it often signals a rise in the cost of essential food commodities like grains an...

Inflation rises to 3.3% in January as consumer prices go up
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  Feb 01, 2025

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.

Kenya to start publishing core inflation data to boost targeting
Reuters  |  Jan 22, 2025

Policymakers argue it is hard to attain price stability in the economy using monetary tools when the food and fuel components of inflation are include...

Kenya's private sector activity dips slightly in December amid rising inflation
Alfred Onyango  |  Jan 07, 2025

Attributing the slight dip to inflation, the Index says the sharp increase in input costs at the end of the year led private sector firms to raise sel...

Escalating Red Sea vessel attacks risk negating Kenya’s easing inflation as shipment of essential goods affected
Alfred Onyango  |  Jan 04, 2025

The ongoing attacks and tensions have severely impacted the flow of goods through the Suez Canal, with the 7-day moving average of container traffic f...

Relief as workers’ real wage growth starts rising on easing inflation
Alfred Onyango  |  Jan 02, 2025

A recent report by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), reveals that the real average wage growth has started to rise again as inflation progr...

Increased food, power, transport costs push inflation to 3 per cent in December
Alfred Onyango  |  Dec 31, 2024

This seasonal spike, along with increases in prices of some food commodities and power, pushed up the country's inflation rate to 3.0 per cent in Dece...

Things are tough, lobby group says, dismisses Ruto's economic recovery claims
Lucy Mumbi  |  Dec 16, 2024

The group criticised the government's fiscal austerity measures, which they claimed were ineffective in addressing widespread corruption.

World Bank cuts Kenya's 2024 growth estimate to 4.7 per cent on fiscal challenges
Reuters  |  Dec 10, 2024

Kenya has managed to stabilise its foreign exchange rate, boost hard currency reserves held by the Central Bank and lower inflation this year.

Government increases registration fees for birth, death certificates by 300 per cent
Lucy Mumbi  |  Dec 04, 2024

The revised fees come as part of a broader effort by the government to increase charges across various immigration and civil registration services.

Ghana risks government shutdown if no budget passed before election
Reuters  |  Dec 02, 2024

The government might have to cut back on interest payments and funding for the transition, he added, unless a budget is passed in December.

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