The annual headline inflation rates for both Tanzania and Uganda rose in June while that of Kenya dropped.

Tanzania’s National Bureau of Statistics this past week reported an inflation rate increase of 0.2 per cent from 3.5 to 3.7 per cent in May.

NBS attributed this to an increase in food and non-food items plus prices of commodities. 

The overall index rose to 117.03 in June this year from 112.81 in June 2018.  The inflation rate for food and non-alcoholic beverages rose to 2.3 per cent in June this year, from 2.2 per cent in May. The inflation rate for food consumed at home and away shot up to 4.3 per cent in June, from 3.9 per cent in May, while the 12-month index change for non-food products maintained the 4.7 per cent rate from May.

The consumer price index shrank by 0.2 per cent between May and June this year compared with a 0.4 per cent increase recorded between April and May. NBS attributed this to price drops for non-food items such as gas by 2.1 per cent, charcoal (by 2.8 per cent), mobile phones (3.7 per cent), handbags (0.5 per cent) and clothing (0.2 per cent).

In Uganda, inflation rose by 0.1 per cent between May and June, from 3.3 to 3.4 per cent. The Uganda Bureau of Statistics attributed this to annual core inflation, which rose to 4.9 per cent for the year ending June 2019, from 4.6 per cent for the year ended May 2019.

UBoS attributed this to annual services inflation, which rose to 4.7 per cent from 4.0 in May, while the annual inflation rate for education shot up to 6.8 per cent from 3.6 per cent.

In Kenya, the consumer price index dropped by 0.69 per cent in June this year from 205.77 in May. Overall inflation stood at 5.70 per cent in June 2019.

The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics said that favourable weather boosted food production leading to lower prices for some commodities.

Over the same period, housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels rose by 0.05 per cent as a result of increased house rents that overshadowed notable drops in the costs of electricity and kerosene.