KNBS: Milk, flour and cabbage get pricier as Ksh1,000 shopping basket rises in September

Kenyan households experienced a rise in prices for several everyday food items in September, according to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS). Notable increases were observed in the cost of milk, cabbage, wheat flour, and potatoes. The price of 500ml UHT long-life milk surged by 8.0%, while cabbage prices climbed by 6.2%. Fresh packeted cow milk saw a 6.0% increase, and fresh unpacketed cow milk rose by 5.8%.

White wheat flour became pricier as well, with a 4.5% increase in the average cost of a 2kg packet during the month. The KNBS reported that food and non-alcoholic beverage prices, as a whole, rose by 0.9% monthly, significantly outpacing the overall national inflation rate of 6.8%. When considering a basket of six commonly bought goods, the combined cost rose from Ksh960.37 in August to Ksh986.01 in September.

This means a Ksh1,000 budget would still cover the same basket in September, but the remaining amount decreased from Ksh39.63 in August to Ksh13.99.

Milk prices experienced some of the most substantial monthly increases, with the average 500ml UHT long-life milk price rising from Ksh57.08 in August to Ksh61.64 in September. Fresh packeted cow milk increased from Ksh57.74 to Ksh61.23, and one litre of fresh unpacketed cow milk climbed from Ksh73.30 to Ksh77.54. Cabbage prices also surged by 6.2%, while a 2kg packet of white wheat flour increased by 4.5%. Irish potato prices rose from Ksh118.05 to Ksh121.98 per kilogram.

Despite the overall upward trend in food prices, some commodities recorded declines. Tomatoes fell by 4.1%, spinach decreased by 2.1%, and the price of sifted maize flour fell by 0.6%. Sugar also experienced a modest decline, dropping by 0.4% from Ksh166.45 to Ksh165.79 per kilogramme. In summary, while some staple items became cheaper, the rising costs of milk, flour, cabbage, and potatoes contributed to the escalating expense of a typical household's shopping basket.