Kenya’s annual inflation rate inched up to 6.5% in July 2026 from 6.4% in June, staying above the midpoint of the central bank’s 2.5%–7.5% target band for the third consecutive month. The increase was driven mainly by transport costs, which climbed 15.6% year-on-year, reflecting the lingering pass-through from earlier fuel price hikes, even though pump prices were left unchanged at the mid-month review. Food and non-alcoholic beverages inflation also remained high at 9.0%. At the same time, core inflation—which excludes selected volatile items—rose slightly to 3.2% from 3.1% in June, indicating a gradual build-up in underlying price pressures.