NAIROBI, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's overall inflation fell to 5.49 percent in May, down from 6.58 percent in April, the statistics bureau said on Friday.
Zachary Mwangi, director general of Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), said that the lower inflation rate was driven by a decrease in the cost of food.
"The year-on-year food inflation decreased from 8.17 percent in April 2019 to 6.33 percent in May 2019," Mwangi said in a statement issued from Nairobi.
The Food and Non-Alcohol Drink's Index decreased by 0.37 percent in May due to favorable weather conditions that led to lower prices.
Mwangi said that the Consumer Price Indices (CPI) decreased by 0.07 percent from 205.9 in April 2019 to 205.77 in May 2019.
The Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels' Index rose by 0.61 percent as a result of higher cost of some house rents and cooking fuels.
The transport index rose by 0.32 percent, mainly on account of increases in pump prices of petrol and diesel.
Price data came from selected retail outlets in 25 data collection zones in Nairobi and in 13 other urban centers.
