Kenyans faced higher food prices in June 2025, with the cost of essentials like carrots, cabbages, and sugar rising sharply, according to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS).
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) report, released on Monday, June 30, 2025, showed annual inflation at 3.8 per cent, meaning prices were 3.8 per cent higher than in June 2024.
Food and non-alcoholic beverages were the biggest drivers, with a yearly price increase of 6.6 per cent. In June, carrot prices jumped by 11.1 per cent, reaching Ksh128.97 per kilogram, while cabbages rose by 10.8 per cent to Ksh85.10 per kilogram.
Sugar also became pricier, climbing 5.5 per cent to Ksh184.13 per kilogram. Other staples saw notable hikes: maize grain (loose) increased by 2.8 per cent to Ksh70.40 per kilogram, maize flour (sifted) went up by 2.1 per cent to Ksh160.22 for two kilograms, and spinach rose by 2.3 per cent to Ksh104.52 per kilogram.
Tomatoes and kale (sukuma wiki) also saw monthly increases of 1.2 per cent and 1.0 per cent, costing Ksh83.88 and Ksh90.42 per kilogram, respectively. Beef with bones edged up by 0.7 per cent to Ksh 690.15 per kilogram.
However, some relief came as cooking oil, fresh milk, and potatoes saw slight price drops of 0.4 per cent, 0.4 per cent, and 0.2 per cent, respectively.
Rising costs, mixed trends
The CPI, which tracks the cost of a fixed basket of goods and services, rose from 144.88 in May 2025 to 145.58 in June, showing a monthly inflation rate of 0.5 per cent. The KNBS collects this data from shops and markets across 50 urban areas during the second and third weeks of each month.
Food and non-alcoholic beverages, alongside transport (up 3.2 per cent) and housing (up 0.2 per cent), accounted for over 57 per cent of the CPI’s weight, heavily influencing the overall inflation rate.While food prices drove inflation, some sectors showed stability.
For instance, electricity costs dropped by 1.6 per cent for 50 kWh, and diesel prices fell by 1.1 per cent to Ksh163.89 per litre. However, petrol prices rose by 1.6 per cent to Ksh178.19 per litre.
Core inflation, covering less volatile items, was 3.0 per cent, while non-core inflation, including fresh produce, hit 6.2 per cent. Food alone contributed 2.0 points to the overall 3.8 per cent inflation rate.
Kenneth Mwenda
Kenneth Mwenda is a digital writer with over five years of experience. He graduated in February 2022 with a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance from The Co-operative University of Kenya. He has written news and feature stories for platforms such as Construction Review Online, Sports Brief, Briefly News, and Criptonizando. In 2023, he completed a course in Digital Investigation Techniques with AFP. He joined K24 Digital in May 2025. For inquiries, he can be reached at [email protected].
