The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) has released its Consumer Price Indices and Inflation Rates report for August 2025, highlighting notable price shifts across key sectors of the economy.
According to the report, transport costs were among the most affected, with bus and matatu fares on the Mombasa–Nairobi route recording the steepest rise of 15.4 per cent. Commuters using three-wheelers, popularly known as tuk-tuks, also experienced a 1.5 per cent increase in fares. This trend persisted despite the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) announcing a 0.5 per cent drop in petrol prices, while diesel prices remained unchanged.
In the insurance sector, KNBS noted a slight uptick, with vehicle insurance premiums rising by 0.2 per cent. Similarly, television subscription fees for private services such as DStv went up by 1.5 per cent.
The hospitality sector also registered marginal increases. Prices of prepared food from cafés and takeaways rose by 0.3 per cent, beverages in hotels and restaurants increased by 0.3 per cent, while lodging and guesthouse accommodation costs edged up by 0.2 per cent. Personal care items followed a similar trend, with body lotion and toilet soap prices rising by 0.2 and 0.4 per cent respectively, while tissue paper recorded the highest jump at 1.6 per cent.
Food prices displayed mixed movement. Vegetables recorded sharp increases, with cabbage prices rising by 6.3 per cent, carrots by 2.4 per cent, sukuma wiki by 1.9 per cent, and tomatoes by 1.2 per cent. Conversely, staple foods such as fortified maize flour (-1.7 per cent), sifted maize flour (-1.5 per cent), fresh unpacketed cow milk (-0.9 per cent), beans (-0.7 per cent), loose maize grain (-0.4 per cent), and oranges (-0.7 per cent) registered price declines.
Electricity charges provided some relief to households, with the cost of 50kWh and 200kWh bands dropping by 2.3 and 2.1 per cent respectively. In addition, the furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance index posted a 0.2 per cent decrease.
The KNBS report underscores the volatility of consumer prices, with essential household items and transport bearing the brunt of inflationary pressures, even as some utilities and staple foods recorded slight reliefs.
