New Price Alert: Tomatoes, fuel up as sugar gets cheaper in June

There's a simple way to tell whether the cost of living is changing. Don't start with economic reports.

Start with your shopping list.

If you've recently found yourself paying more for tomatoes or spending extra at the fuel station, you're not imagining it.

Kenya's latest inflation figures show that while the overall rate of price increases slowed slightly in June, several everyday items continued to become more expensive.

According to the latest data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), overall inflation eased to 6.4% in June, down slightly from 6.7% in May.

But behind that figure are the prices that households actually feel every day.

Tomatoes lead the price increase

Tomatoes recorded the biggest jump among the items tracked, with prices rising by 40.5% compared to the same period last year.

For many Kenyan families, tomatoes are a kitchen staple. Whether it's preparing stew, vegetables or rice, even a small increase at the market quickly shows up in the week's food budget.

Cabbages also became significantly more expensive, rising by 25.3%.

Fuel remains a major concern

Motorists and businesses also continued to feel the impact of higher fuel prices.

Diesel prices were up 29.9%, while petrol increased by 14.9%.

Fuel affects far more than motorists. It influences the cost of transporting food, goods and passengers across the country, meaning higher fuel prices often filter through to many other products and services.

Some welcome relief for households

It wasn't all bad news. Several essential household items actually became cheaper during the period.

Sugar recorded one of the biggest price drops at 9.5%, while sifted maize flour and non-aromatic white rice both fell slightly by 0.3%.

Electricity bills also eased, with the cost of power for households consuming 50 kilowatts dropping by 2.9%, while those using 200 kilowatts saw prices fall by 4.6%.

Cooking oil, packaged milk and beef registered only modest increases compared to some of the sharper price movements.

So what does inflation really mean?

One common misconception is that lower inflation means prices are falling. Not quite.

Inflation measures how fast prices are increasing, not whether they have become cheaper.

So while Kenya's inflation rate dropped slightly from 6.7% to 6.4%, many goods can still cost more than they did a year ago. The difference is that prices are rising at a slower pace overall.

For most households, the real test isn't the inflation figure itself - it's what happens at the supermarket, the local market and the petrol station.

This month's numbers suggest a mixed picture.

While families may enjoy some savings on sugar, maize flour and electricity, higher prices for tomatoes, fuel and several fresh foods continue to put pressure on everyday household budgets.