Cooking gas prices soared to an all-time high of Sh3,231 for a 13-kilogramme cylinder in March, defying government-backed efforts to reduce the cost of the commodity, including the removal of the eight percent Value Added Tax (VAT) on the product.
Fresh data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) shows that the national average price of the commodity continued its upward trend during the month after rising by 1.4 percent from the Sh3,187 recorded in February, representing a three percent year-on-year increase.
The new average dwarfs the high of Sh3,218 recorded in June 2022, when disruptions from the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which started in February that year, hit the global economy.
However, a spot check showed that some retail outlets were selling at highs of 3,330 on Monday, while the cost of refilling at some outlets was below the national average at as low as 3,090.
