Kenyans are anticipating a sharp rise in key food prices over the coming month, following a notable shift in market expectations recorded by the Central Bank of Kenya in its September 2026 Agriculture Sector Survey.
The survey reveals a significant month-on-month surge in the balance of opinion regarding expected price increases across select non-core basket food items compared to August 2026.
Expectations of higher costs for tomatoes saw the most dramatic spike, soaring from 1 per cent in August to 43 per cent in September.
Expectations for cabbages nearly tripled, rising from 20 per cent to 58 per cent. Cereal staples and legumes also showed heavy upward pressure, with expected price increases for loose maize flour flipping from -10 per cent in August to 60 per cent in September.
Similarly, expectations for loose maize grain shot up from 6 per cent to 53 per cent, while fresh unpacketed cow milk and fresh cream jumped from 11 per cent to 67 per cent.
Other everyday market staples followed a similar trajectory. Unpeeled garden peas (minji) recorded a sharp increase from 29 per cent to 68 per cent, beans rose from 15 per cent to 61 per cent, and green grams grew from 4 per cent to 45 per cent.
Among vegetables, expected price spikes for spinach went from 13 per cent to 37 per cent, kale (sukuma wiki) from 14 per cent to 30 per cent, traditional vegetables from 8 per cent to 42 per cent, carrots from 7 per cent to 44 per cent, and onions, leeks, and bulbs from 29 per cent to 48 per cent. Green maize and loose green maize climbed to 53 per cent and 57 per cent, respectively, while potatoes (insh) rose slightly from 50 per cent to 53 per cent.
