Costly imports of fuel, edible oils and fertiliser widened Kenya’s trade deficit to a record Sh666.2 billion in the first five months of the year, piling pressure on the shilling and straining household budgets due to rising inflation.
The 23 percent or Sh189 billion jump in the import bill to Sh1.02 trillion is largely a result of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, which has disrupted global supply chains of critical commodities such as petroleum fuels, metals, fertiliser and grains.
