Consumers in the Coast and Nyanza are paying the least for food commodities in contrast to Kenyans in other regions, including northeastern who have the highest costs, a Treasury report shows.
The latest data by the Treasury shows that consumers at the Coast paid the least for maize, maize flour, bread, cooking oil, and packeted cow milk in February followed by Kenyans in the Nyanza region.
In contrast, consumers in the northeastern region paid the most for maize flour, wheat flour, and cooking oil.
Ms Zipporah Wanjiku sells omena at the Elburgon Open Air Market in Nakuru County on February 25, 2025.
Photo credit: John Njoroge | Nation Media Group
A kilogramme of maize flour (loose), for instance cost, Sh64.29 at the Coast and Sh68.75 in Nyanza while costs in northeastern for the same commodity were nearly twice as much at Sh126.67.
Nyanza consumers paid Sh152.58 for a two-kilo packet of sifted maize flour in contrast to Sh226.67 in northeastern.
The northeastern consumers, however, paid the least for sugar, parting with Sh154.83 for a one kilo packet in contrast to Coast consumers who paid Sh162.55, the highest price for the commodity by region.
The findings by the Treasury reveal the differences in consumer costs where far-flung areas of the country mostly pay more for the same goods and services than the rest of Kenya.
The data shows that all regions benefited from the general fall in key commodity prices over the past year even as inflation re-emerges with February cost of living rate coming in at a six-month high of 3.5 percent.
The price of a kilogramme of sugar in northeastern, for instance, fell by 25.1 percent over the last year from Sh206.67 to Sh154.83.
“Consumers across various regions experienced a notable decline in prices, offering much-needed relief, particularly in essential commodities,” said the Treasury in a statement last week. “From the four selected regions, it is noted that there was a general decline in prices of most of the common commodities.
“The price reductions underscore the positive impact of government interventions and market stabilidation efforts, ultimately enhancing the affordability of goods and services while easing the financial burden on households across the country.”
Vegetable vendors outside Mackinon Market in Mombasa.
Photo credit: Kevin Odit | Nation Media Group
Emerging pressure points on food have, however, re-ignited inflation concerns even as the overall cost of living rate is expected to hold below the government’s mid-point of five percent in the short term.
The government targets inflation at above 2.5 percent but at no more than 7.5 percent with the Central Bank of Kenya being charged with the price stability mandate.
The CBK deploys its monetary policy-setting tools to ensure price stability including the ability to lift interest rates to contain the second-round effects of inflation.
Stability in overall inflation over recent months is attributable in part to exchange rate stability after key CBK interventions to contain foreign capital outflows.
