Mbale, Gulu register highest price surges

Price increases surged most in Mbale and Gulu during May, according to data from Uganda Bureau of Statistics (Ubos). 
The increases were driven by both food and non-alcoholic beverages, which in both cities surged to double digits. 

In Mbale, Ubos data indicates, prices increase by 8.5 percent in May, up from 5.7 percent in April 2022 due to food and non-alcoholic beverages’ inflation, which increased to 16.2 percent up from 8 percent. 
The increase was also driven by transport inflation, which increased to 6.4 percent in May up from 1.5 percent in in April. 

In Gulu prices rose to 8.4 percent in May up from 6.9 percent in April mainly due to food and non-alcoholic beverages’ inflation, which rose to 17.9 percent up from 7.8 percent. 
Similarly, Gulu registered an increase in furnishings, household equipment and routine household inflation, which rose to 25.3 percent in May up from 23.3 percent in April. 
 
However, Kampala High Income and Jinja registered the lowest increases influenced by a reduction in restaurants and accommodation services rates.  For instance in Kampala High Income inflation slightly rose to 5.1 percent in May up from 4.8 percent due to low inflationary pressures driven by restaurants and accommodation services inflation, which decreased to 3.3 percent from 5.2 percent while in Jinja inflation rose from 3.7 percent in April to 5.7 in May. 
 
While presenting the Consumer Prices Index for May 2022 in Kampala yesterday, Ms Aliziki K. Lubega, the Ubos director economic statistics said there has been an increase in inflationary pressures due to increase in the prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages inflation, which had largely remained subdued. 
Other price increases, she said, have been experienced in the transport sector, furnishings, household equipment and routine household items. Ubos data also indicates commodity and service prices have increased across the country.  High price increase where also registered in Fortportal, in which inflation rose from 6.7 percent in April to 7.7 percent in May. 

In Kampala Low Income prices increased from 4.5 percent in April to 7.2 percent in May while in Arua they rose from 5 percent to 7.2.  Masaka and Mbarara registered slight increases, due to a slowdown in restaurants and accommodation services inflation. 
In Masaka inflation rose from 4.5 percent to 6.6 percent in May while in Mbarara it rose from 4.3 percent to 5.8 percent.