The cost of living for millions of Kenyans continues to rise, with the latest data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) showing an increase in prices of key food items in May 2025.
According to the report, sugar and maize flour recorded the highest price hikes over the past month, showing that many Kenyan homes were affected.
Sugar (1kg) topped the list at a 4.3% price increase. Maize flour (2 kgs) followed closely with a 3.9% rise, while sukuma wiki (kales) went up by 3.5%.
On the other hand, loose maize grain increased by 2.8%, beef with bones saw a 1.6% increase, and Tomatoes saw a 1.2% increase.
However, the price of fresh packaged cow milk (500ml) dropped by 0.6%. Also, the prices of oranges fell by 1.8%, and potatoes recorded the biggest decrease of 3.7%.
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KNBS Representation of Decrease and Increase in Food Prices
| Commodity | April 2025 (Estimated) | May 2025 | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sugar (1 Kg) | Ksh213 | Ksh222 | ▲ 4.3% |
| Maize Flour – Sifted (2 Kg) | Ksh154 | Ksh160 | ▲ 3.9% |
| Kales – Sukuma Wiki (1 Kg) | Ksh57 | Ksh59 | ▲ 3.5% |
| Maize Grain – Loose (1 Kg) | Ksh71 | Ksh73 | ▲ 2.8% |
| Beef – With Bones (1 Kg) | Ksh586 | Ksh595 | ▲ 1.6% |
| Tomatoes (1 Kg) | Ksh84 | Ksh85 | ▲ 1.2% |
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Decrease in Prices of Select Commodities
| Commodity | April 2025 (Est.) | May 2025 | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Potatoes (1 Kg) | Ksh108 | Ksh104 | ▼ 3.7% |
| Oranges (1 Kg) | Ksh55 | Ksh54 | ▼ 1.8% |
| Fresh Packeted Milk (500 ml) | Ksh64 | Ksh63.6 | ▼ 0.6% |
KNBS on Non-Food Items
Moreover, the prices of electricity and cooking gas (LPG) recorded a decrease.
Electricity (50 kWh) fell by 1.0%, 200 kWh by 0.9%, and cooking gas (13kg) by 0.5%.
| Utility | % Change |
|---|---|
| Electricity (50 kWh) | ▼ 1.0% |
| Electricity (200 kWh) | ▼ 0.9% |
| Cooking Gas (13 Kg) | ▼ 0.5% |
Additionally, the report indicated that Kenya’s annual inflation rate eased to 3.8% in May 2025, down from 4.1% recorded in April.
However, despite the slight overall drop, food prices remained high, highlighting the uneven nature of price stability across sectors.
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a critical economic indicator used to measure changes in the cost of a standard basket of goods and services consumed by households.
Moreover, the inflation rate, derived from CPI changes, directly informs economic decisions, from government budgeting to wage negotiations and interest rate setting by the Central Bank.
The KNBS gathers retail prices for the CPI from 50 data collection zones across the country, 14 in Nairobi and 36 in other urban areas.
These zones cover diverse income groups to ensure representation of lower, middle, and upper-income households and price collection takes place every month, typically during the second and third weeks.
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