Changes In Retail Price For Selected Basic Commodities In Kenya For The Past One Year

As Kenyans continue to feel the pain of the high cost of living, prices of common commodities have continued to spike despite efforts by the government to try and maintain them.

Coupled with higher taxes, failed rains, as well as the high cost of doing business, it seems millions of Kenyans will continue facing the pain of fighting to get out of this life alive.

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In the past year to July 2023, the price of dry maize increased by at least 23 percent. It was during this period that the price of maize flour in Kenya hit the highest level in history with a 2-kilogram packet going for as high as 260 shillings.

A kilogram of beans during the same period went up by 32.7 percent. In most parts of the country, the product retailed between 300 and 500 shillings for a 2-kilogram tin. The price went down by 2 percent during the harvest but skyrocketed again.

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The price of a kilogram of onions and pieces went up by 22 and 13 percent respectively. The price of onions is still high around the country at the moment. This was occasioned by a dwindling supply from Tanzania. Currently, one onion is retailing between 10 and 15 shillings.

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Potatoes, carrots, and oranges went up by 9.1, 8.1, and 7.7 percent respectively while cabbages and cow peace went up by 6.5 and 4.5 percent respectively. The price of Wheat flour slightly dropped by 0.3 percent. For tomatoes, prices dropped by 9.8 percent for a kilo.

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In the past year to July 2023, the cost of electricity in Kenya rose by more than 50 percent. the cost of 50 kilowatts rose by 65.7 percent while the cost of 200 kilowatts rose by 46.6 percent. The cost of electricity is still at a record high in Kenya.

KPLC is the only supply of electricity to Kenyans. Given that many Kenyans have yet to embrace the use of solar, KPLC has used its monopoly to set the prices of tokens as high as possible because Kenyans will buy anyway.

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For Nairobians, the cost of bus fare during the period went up by 40 percent using Nairobi CBD to Githurai as the benchmark. The cost of fare in Kenya is often pegged on the price of fuel and has been skyrocketing in the past months, hitting the highest in history too.

When it comes to fuel, Kenyans have been paying through the nose. The cost of kerosene, diesel, and super petrol has been rising for months. The Finance Act 2023 with its 16 percent VAT on petroleum products made the situation even worse.

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A liter of kerosene went up by 33.5 percent in 12 months to July 2023 while that of Diesel went up by 28 percent. At the same time, the cost of Super Petrol went up by 22.1 percent. In terms of rent, the monthly cost for a one-bedroom house went up by 1.8 percent.

Data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics.