Nairobi — Kenya's inflation accelerated to a new record of 7.1 percent in May as the cost of food and beverages continues to rise sharply partly affected by the war in Ukraine which has stoked energy and food prices.

The latest data released by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) show that the overall year-on-year Inflation rate for May 2022 was 7.1 percent compared to 6.47 percent recorded in April 2022.

The month-to-month Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages Index increased by 1.3 percent, a lower rate, however, compared to the rise of 3.03 percent registered between March 2022 and April 2022

Specifically, the prices of maize flour, cooking fat, cooking oil, and fresh packeted cow milk increased by 6.9, 6.1, 5.3, and 3.7 percent compared to April 2022.

During the same period, prices of kale (sukuma wiki), spinach, and cabbages dropped by 5.0, 4.1, and 4.0 percent, respectively.

"There was a notable increase in prices of food items in May 2022, compared with the prices recorded in May 2021," KNBS said.

The upward review of prices of petrol and diesel saw the transport index rising by 0.8 percent over the same period.

"The Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels' Index, increased by 0.6 percent between April 2022 and May 2022," the data agency noted.

During this period, the price of kerosene rose by 4.8 percent.