Kenya’s annual consumer price inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) remained unchanged in October 2025 at an annual inflation rate of 4.6%, according to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS). The overall index increased from 146.56 in September 2025 to 146.84 in October 2025, resulting in a monthly inflation rate of 0.2% from September 2025 to October 2025.
Key Drivers of Inflation
The Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages Index recorded an 8% year-on-year increase underscoring the impact of rising prices for key staples. The retail price of 1 kilogram of tomatoes grew by 37.3%, that of sugar 22.6%, and cabbages 20.3%. Month-on-month, however, the Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages index declined by 0.2% and driven by a 2.3% and 2.2% decline in the prices of sifted and fortified maize flour, respectively.
The highest monthly price changes were recorded in 1 kilogram of oranges, mangoes, and irish potatoes at 4.2%, 3.8% and 1.6%. KNBS attributed these price hikes to seasonal supply constraints and higher input costs. Other food items such as eggs, Sukuma wiki and sugar also dropped between 0.5% and 1.2%.
Beyond the supermarket, the Transport Index rose by 4.8% over the year despite the fuel prices not budging. The surge was fueled by higher bus and matatu fares between towns. The cost of international flights declined by 0.6%.
The Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and other Fuels Index surged by 1.9% over the one-year period. Electricity charges rose during the period, and categorically, month-on-month, the cost of 200kWh increased by 3% and that of 50kWh rose by 3.3%. However, the cost of gas (LPG) went down by 0.6%. According to KNBS, the cost of 200kWh consumption rose from KES 5,597.16 in September 2025 to KES 5,764.15 in October 2025.
Collectively, these three divisions: Food and Non-alcoholic Beverages, Transport and Housing, carry the most significant weight (57.1686%) in the CPI basket, making them the primary influencers of the national annual inflation rate.
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