Kenyan households are once again facing rising food costs as cooking oil prices climb to their highest levels since the global food crisis of 2022. The resurgence in prices mirrors developments in the global vegetable oil market. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports that international vegetable oil prices rose sharply in mid-2026, driven by higher prices for palm and rapeseed oil. As Kenya imports most of its edible oil requirements, global price movements are quickly transmitted to the local market. The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) had already warned earlier this year that international edible oil markets were experiencing renewed inflationary pressure.