January 2020 Basic Needs and Nutrition Basket Statement; Heightened Energy Costs and Spiraling Cost of Living

The cost of living as measured by the JCTR Basic Needs and Nutrition Basket (BNNB) for the month of January 2020 was recorded at K7, 410.96 for a family of five compared to K 5,395.35 in January 2019. Further, the 2020 January BNNB increased by 11.9% i.e. K790.73 from K6, 620.23 in December 2019 to K7, 410.96 in January 2020. The rise in the basket between December and January was mainly due to increases in the price of essential food items such as Kapenta, which moved from K205.83 to K299.07 per kg, other fruits which moved from K107.31 to K439.93, onion and tomato which increased from K48.53 to K150.88 and K57.36 to K118.58 respectively. From the non-food essential items, notable increases where charcoal that increased from K296 to K360 (for two 90kg bags) and electricity that moved from K292 to K500.