Nairobi, Aug. 5 -- The price of cooking oil has climbed back to its highest level since the global food crisis of 2022, exposing households to renewed pressure from international commodity markets and reviving concerns over Kenya's heavy dependence on imported edible oils.

Data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) shows that the national average retail price of a litre of salad cooking oil stood at Sh358.09 in July, the highest since October 2022, when it averaged Sh366.48.

The latest price is only Sh21.75 below the Sh379.84 reached in September 2022 during the commodity price shock triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The return to crisis-era prices comes after nearly two years of relative stability, suggesting mu...