By Evans Najuna KAMPALA: Uganda’s monthly headline inflation climbed to 0.3 percent in August 2026, up from the 0.2 percent increase recorded in July, as food and communication costs pushed prices higher. The latest figures were released by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) on Monday morning at the Bureau’s head offices in Kampala. According to the August Consumer Price Index report, the rise was largely driven by monthly Core Inflation, which increased to 0.2 percent in August from 0.1 percent in July. Monthly Core Goods Inflation remained unchanged at 0.2 percent, while Services Inflation also held steady at 0.1 percent. Food prices made a sharp comeback during the month, with Food Crops and Related Items Inflation rising by 1.2 percent, reversing the 1.5 percent decline recorded in July. UBOS attributed the increase to sharp price rises in several food commodities. Matooke prices jumped 8.4 percent, reversing a 14.8 percent fall in July, while mango prices surged 24.8 percent, compared with a 5.2 percent rise the previous month. Pineapple prices also shot up by 26.4 percent, reversing a 24.0 percent decline in July. Irish potatoes increased by 5.1 percent, while beans rose by 2.4 percent, after falling by 7.1 percent and 0.6 percent respectively in July. The pressure was also reflected in the broader Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages category, which increased by 0.5 percent in August, reversing the 0.5 percent drop recorded in July. But it was the Information and Communication sector that posted the biggest monthly jump, rising by a staggering 3.1 percent in August, from zero percent in July. The division recorded the highest increase among the 13 COICOP divisions tracked by UBOS. Recreation, Sport and Culture followed with a 0.4 percent increase, while Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels rose by 0.2 percent, although this was a sharp slowdown from the 2.0 percent increase recorded in July. Meanwhile, Energy, Fuel and Utilities (EFU) Inflation rose by 0.2 percent in August, compared with a 2.9 percent increase in July. The increase was mainly driven by solid fuels, which rose by 0.5 percent after declining by 2.6 percent in July. Charcoal prices increased by 0.9 percent, reversing the 3.2 percent decline recorded in July. Liquid Energy Fuels Inflation increased by 0.1 percent, compared with a 1.5 percent rise in July. Diesel prices rose by 0.8 percent, while cooking gas prices increased by 0.5 percent. Alcoholic Beverages, Tobacco and Narcotics increased by 0.2 percent, down from 0.4 percent in July, while Personal Care, Social Protection and Miscellaneous Goods also rose by 0.2 percent, compared with 0.4 percent previously. Health inflation remained at 0.1 percent, while Education Services and Insurance and Financial Services registered no change. Clothing and Footwear, Furnishings and Household Equipment, and Transport also recorded zero percent monthly inflation. Restaurants and Accommodation Services were the only COICOP division to register a decline, falling by 0.1 percent in August from a 0.1 percent increase in July. Overall, the figures show that monthly headline inflation rose from 0.2 percent in June–July to 0.3 percent in July–August 2026, with the sharp rebound in food prices and the surge in communication costs emerging as major pressure points for consumers.