NAIROBI - Kenya's overall inflation rate rose to 6.27 percent in July, up from 5.7 percent in June, despite a decrease in the cost of some food products, the government data agency said on Wednesday.
Zachary Mwangi, director general of Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), said the consumer price indices (CPI) fell 0.36 percent, from 204.34 in June to 203.61 in July.
"In July 2019, the food and non-alcohol drink's index decreased by 1.04 percent, compared to a decline of 1.6 percent in June 2019," Mwangi said in a statement issued from Nairobi.
The KNBS noted that the alcoholic beverages, tobacco and narcotics index surged 0.82 percent due to an increase in the price of cigarettes.
In July, the housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels' index rose 0.14 percent as a result of higher electricity prices.
The statistics bureau added that the transport index increased by 0.22 percent, on account of increases in pump prices of petrol despite a drop in the pump prices of diesel.
The prices were obtained from selected retail outlets in 25 data collection zones in Nairobi and 13 other urban centers.