CBK reports that Kenya’s inflation rose slightly to 4.4% in March 2026, up from 4.3% in February, remaining within the government’s target range.
Data shows sharp increases in vegetable prices alongside modest changes in fuel and electricity costs, highlighting mixed price movements across essential goods in the Consumer Price Index basket.
The report released on Wednesday, indicates relative stability in the cost of living within the country’s target inflation band.
“Inflation in March 2026 was 4.4 percent,” the data shows, pointing to a steady trend in headline inflation.
The latest figures are based on changes in the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which measures the cost of a fixed basket of goods and services over time. Inflation is calculated as the change in prices between March 2026 and March 2025.
The data highlights a distinction between core and non-core inflation components.
Core inflation, which excludes volatile items such as food and energy, stood at 2.1%, suggesting relatively stable underlying price pressures.
Non-core inflation, however, was significantly higher at 10.8%, reflecting sharp movements in food and other volatile commodity prices.
The core CPI basket accounts for 81.1% of the overall CPI, indicating that most consumer spending falls within relatively stable price categories.
Food prices recorded some of the most notable changes over the period.
Among staple commodities, beef with bone rose by 9.6%, while fortified maize flour increased by 6.9%. Wheat flour (white) recorded a rise of 1.8%, and cooking oil (salad) increased by 2.4%.
Sugar prices rose by 4.4%, while non-aromatic white rice saw a modest increase of 1.0%.
However, the most significant price increases were observed in fresh produce.
Cabbages recorded a sharp increase of 33.8%, tomatoes rose by 23.2%, and sukuma wiki increased by 17.9%, reaffirming the volatility of food prices in the non-core inflation category.
These changes highlight the impact of seasonal factors and supply conditions on household food costs.
Energy-related costs showed relatively minimal changes during the period under review.
Electricity consumption at 200 kilowatts rose by just 0.1%, while gas or LPG increased by 0.4%. Diesel prices also recorded a marginal increase of 0.1%.
The data suggests that energy prices remained largely stable compared to the sharper increases seen in food commodities.
Overall, the combination of moderate core inflation and higher non-core inflation reflects a mixed picture of price movements across the economy.
While essential goods such as vegetables experienced significant price hikes, other categories such as energy and processed foods recorded smaller changes.
The slight increase in headline inflation suggests that price pressures remain contained, even as certain sectors experience volatility.
Kenya’s inflation continues to remain within the government’s target range of 2.5% to 7.5%, indicating relative macroeconomic stability.
The data was compiled by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), with additional analysis from the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK).
The detailed report on core and non-core measures of inflation is available on the KNBS website, providing further insights into the drivers of price changes across different sectors.
As households continue to navigate changes in the cost of living, the latest inflation figures highlight the importance of monitoring both stable and volatile price components within the economy.
