Kenyan Inflation Remains at High Level

Cost-of-living protests in Kenya which have persisted since they began in March have led to 30 people being killed by the police, according to new figures released by Amnesty International Kenya. The movement, led by main opposition leader Raila Odinga, has been driven by rising food costs, new levies on fuel and housing as well as alleged fraud in last years election which brought current leader William Ruto into power - beating Odinga, whose subsequent Supreme Court challenge to the result was rejected.

The latest clashes between protesters and armed police broke out this week, with at least six demonstrators killed and more than 300 arrests made on Wednesday. Ruto's government has yet to pass any official comment on the demonstrations, but Kenyan Parliament's minority leader, Opiyo Wandayi, said opposition MPs were “delighted" by the protests. On the subject of the police response, he added: "We ask the International Criminal Court to take a keen interest in the Kenya situation. These attacks are planned. They are crimes against humanity.”

As this infographic illustrates, inflation in the country rose sharply in 2022, resting around the 9 percent mark in the months leading to the first protests. Since then, a slowing in the price increases has been observed, but remained at a similarly high level in June. Year-over year food price inflation in the latest data published by the Central Bank of Kenya was 10.3 percent.