Nairobi families got little relief from a slight fall in the price of maize flour as the cost of most other basic foods continued to climb over the past year, a TIFA Research survey has found.
The average cost of a kilogramme of sifted maize flour dropped by 44 cents, from Sh160.22 in June 2025 to Sh159.78 in June 2026. The 0.27 per cent decline made maize flour the only item in TIFA’s comparison to become cheaper during the period.
The price movement was recorded in TIFA’s Ride-Hailing Industry Survey in Kenya: Public Perception Towards the Proposed Minimum Fare Policy, which used household prices to give context to the economic challenges facing consumers.
Most basic foods became more expensive
While maize flour recorded a marginal reduction, other commonly bought food items became considerably more expensive.
Tomatoes recorded the sharpest increase, with their average price moving from Sh83.88 to Sh117.87 per kilogramme, representing a 41 per cent rise.
The cost of kale, commonly referred to as sukuma wiki, also went up by 27 per cent, increasing from Sh90.42 to Sh114.44 per kilogramme.
Irish potatoes rose by 23 per cent over the same period, with the average price climbing from Sh90.15 to Sh111.10 per kilogramme.
Beef also became more expensive, with its average price increasing by 10 per cent from Sh690.15 to Sh760.75 per kilogramme.
For fresh packeted cow milk, the increase was more modest. The average price of a 500-gramme packet rose by 2 per cent, from Sh56.38 to Sh57.33.
Salad cooking oil increased by 3 per cent, moving from Sh347.17 to Sh358.63 per litre.
Loose maize grain recorded a similar 3 per cent increase, with the average price rising from Sh70.40 to Sh72.52 per kilogramme.
The figures show that the small reduction in maize flour prices came alongside broad increases in the cost of other household food items.
Cost of living weighs on households
The price changes were recorded at a time when many Nairobi residents said they were struggling with the cost of meeting their daily needs.
TIFA reported that 81 per cent of respondents were very concerned about increasing prices affecting everyday life.
The concerns included the cost of food, fuel, rent and transport, among other household expenses.
People aged 35 and above reported an even higher level of concern, with 91 per cent saying they were very worried about rising prices.
Among female respondents, 84 per cent said increasing prices were a major concern.
The survey also found that the high cost of living was the leading household challenge identified by respondents, with 62 per cent pointing to it.
They cited expenses linked to transport, fuel, food and education.
A further 19 per cent identified limited income as a major problem. This group pointed to low earnings, weak business performance and unemployment.
TIFA said households were being squeezed by the combination of higher prices and limited incomes, leaving them with less ability to cope with additional increases in essential expenses.
Rising food costs affect transport choices
The findings on food prices were part of a wider survey examining public opinion on proposed changes to minimum fares for ride-hailing services.
TIFA linked the pressure on household budgets to how passengers view transport charges, noting that higher spending on essential goods leaves consumers with less disposable income.
The proposed minimum fare policy seeks to raise the current minimum taxi fare, which TIFA estimated at between Sh180 and Sh220, with the aim of improving earnings for ride-hailing drivers.
Despite the proposed increase, the survey showed that a majority of respondents were against the policy.
Some 59 per cent described the proposal as wrong, while 39 per cent said it was the right policy.
Respondents also largely preferred ride-hailing companies to compete on fares rather than have prices set through government intervention.
TIFA found that 63 per cent supported competition between companies as the basis for determining fares.
Only 33 per cent backed government regulation of ride-hailing prices.
The research firm said the public response to the proposed fare policy should be viewed in light of the wider financial difficulties facing households, particularly the rising cost of essential goods and services.
TIFA conducted the survey in Nairobi County between July 17 and July 21, 2026.
A total of 733 adults aged 18 years and above took part in face-to-face household interviews. The interviews were mainly carried out in English and Swahili.
The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.18 percentage points, although the margin was higher when results were considered for smaller groups of respondents.
The study was primarily designed to establish public awareness of, opinions on and expected reactions to the proposed minimum fare framework for Kenya’s ride-hailing sector.
The findings on household prices provided an indication of the economic environment in which Nairobi residents are making decisions about transport and other daily expenses.
Although the price of sifted maize flour moved slightly lower over the period, the wider figures show that households continued to face higher costs for many essential goods.