Lovers of kachumbari will have to dig deeper into their pockets as onion prices increase.

Kenyans are spending more on vegetables despite a general drop in the prices of many household items.

In July, the prices of cabbage, tomatoes, and onions rose sharply year on year but were overshadowed by a drop in other commodities such as maize and rice, leading to a general inflation decline to 4.3 percent.

The price of a kilogram of tomatoes increased by 28.7 percent to Sh98 in July this year from Sh76.7 in the same period last year.

Fans of kachumbari will also feel the pinch as onion prices increased from Sh129.79 to Sh171.41 per kilogram over the period.

Cabbage prices saw the sharpest increase, rising from Sh53.7 to Sh78.4 per kilogram, a 46.1 percent increase.

However, according to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), Kenyan households experienced cost relief on various food items. Sugar prices dropped 22.3 percent year-on-year to Sh164.42 per kilogram.

The price of white wheat flour went down by 10.9 percent to Sh177.07 per two-kilogram packet on average.

Maize flour, a staple food for most in the country, saw the biggest price drop compared to a year ago. Kenyan households paid an average of Sh130.4 for a two-kilogram packet of sifted maize flour, a 35.8 percent drop from Sh202.93 in July 2023.

“In the review period, food prices have remained relatively stable, with an annual increase of 5.6 percent in July, matching the previous month’s rate,” KNBS said in their monthly update.

Prices of fortified maize flour also dipped 35.1 percent to Sh147.30 per two-kilogram packet, while a kilogram of loose maize grain cost 29.8 percent less at Sh60.16 on average in July.

In contrast, the average cost of housing, water, electricity, cooking gas, and other fuels rose by a modest 3.9 percent year-on-year but saw a slight decrease of 0.4 percent from the previous month.