Overview:
As the cost of 11 key commodities rises, the East African Business Council urges regional governments to review digital tax stamp systems to ease business costs.
Maize flour prices in Uganda surged 10.8 percent over the last year, leading a group of 11 key commodities that have become significantly more expensive for households, according to new data from the Uganda Bureau of Statistics.
The average price of a kilogram of the staple food rose from 2,422 shillings in February 2025 to 2,718 shillings in February 2026. Ubos reported that this annual increase is more than double the 5 percent rise recorded just one month prior in January.
The price hike in maize is part of a broader trend affecting a wide range of household essentials. Fish prices also saw a sharp climb, with the average cost of a kilogram of smoked tilapia rising from 36,547 shillings to 40,894 shillings. Other items showing significant price changes include fresh tilapia, beef, cassava, onions and cabbage.
Fuel costs are adding further pressure to the market. The price of petrol rose 3.4 percent to 5,130 shillings per liter in February, compared to 4,986 shillings a year ago. Because fuel prices directly impact the cost of transporting goods from farms to urban centers, these increases typically trickle down to consumers.
Juliet Nakanyenga, Ubos principal statistician for price statistics, noted that many goods in Uganda are experiencing price stickiness. This means that while prices increase easily due to market shifts, they often take a long time to decrease or do not drop at all.
Despite the sharp rise in these 11 specific commodities, the national annual headline inflation rate declined slightly to 2.9 percent in February, down from 3.2 percent in January. This was largely due to a slowdown in food crop inflation, which fell to 1.8 percent. However, the inflation rate for energy, fuel and utilities grew to 2.7 percent, up from 1.7 percent.
The data arrived as the East African Business Council called on regional governments to rethink the management of digital tax stamp systems, citing their impact on the cost of doing business.
In contrast to the rising cost of food and fuel, the construction sector remained stable. Ubos senior statistician Irene Musitwa Namugenze reported that construction sector inflation stood at 0.0 percent in February, with residential building costs seeing a minor decline of 0.1 percent.