Maize Flour Prices Drop as Vegetable Prices Rise in July

Kenyans experienced mixed food price trends in July, with the cost of staple maize flour easing while the prices of several fresh vegetables and fruits continued to climb. 

According to the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) report released by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) on July 31, some essential household items became slightly cheaper compared to June.

However, fresh produce remained a major contributor to food inflation, reflecting uneven price movements across the country’s food basket. 

KNBS Report: Food Prices Reveal Mixed Trends in July Despite Rising Vegetable Costs 

KNBS data indicated that several basic food commodities became more affordable between June and July 2026.

According to the report, the price of sifted maize flour fell by 1.6% while fortified maize flour declined by 1.2% during the month.

Also Read: REVEALED: What’s Making Life More Expensive for Kenyans as Inflation Drops to 6.4%

Other items that recorded price reductions during the month included tomatoes, whose prices dropped by 3.7%, carrots by 3.6%, dry beans by 0.3% and cooking oil by 0.2%.

However, although the decline helped keep July’s food inflation low, the Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages Index rose by only 0.1%.

Despite the slight monthly relief on some staples, KNBS stated that consumers continued to face higher prices for several fresh food items.

In July, Mango prices increased by 3.2% while Irish potato prices rose by 2.1%.

Fresh Produce Keeps Food Inflation Higher

The report further revealed that the Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages division recorded annual inflation of 9.0% in July 2026, making it the largest contributor to Kenya’s overall inflation rate of 6.5%.

Therefore, among the biggest annual price increases were tomatoes, which rose by 33.7%, followed by Irish potatoes at 28.4% and sukuma wiki at 26.8% compared to July 2025.

Also Read: Goods and Services Whose Prices Increased in April

However, not all food items became more expensive over the year as sugar prices declined by 10.4%, making it one of the few commodities to register a significant annual decrease.

Additionally, KNBS noted that food remains the largest expenditure category for Kenyan households, accounting for 32.9% of the Consumer Price Index.

As a result, the 9.0% increase in food prices contributed 2.6 percentage points to the country’s overall annual inflation rate, highlighting the continued impact of food costs on the cost of living.

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A photo showing the prices of food inflation during July. PHOTO /File