Kenya’s annual inflation rate climbed to a five-month high in February as food prices continued to increase.

Consumer prices rose 3.5% from 3.3% in January, Kenya National Bureau of Statistics said Friday in an emailed statement, in line with the central bank’s forecast. Core inflation, which strips out energy and prices for volatile food commodities, was unchanged at 2%, highlighting muted demand.

Inflation has been below the 5% midpoint of the central bank’s target range, where it prefers to anchor expectations, since June and is expected to remain so in the near term, according to the monetary policy committee’s (MPC's) estimates. That, and a stable exchange rate, may persuade the MPC to cut interest rates again in April.

It’s lowered the benchmark rate by 2.25 percentage points since August to 10.75% to boost economic growth and private credit extension.