Ugandan inflation accelerated at the fastest pace in 12 months in August as food prices jumped, the Uganda Bureau of Statistics said.

The inflation rate climbed to 7.3 percent from 5.1 percent in July, as food costs surged 13 percent on an annual basis, compared with a 0.3 percent decline the month before, Chris Mukiza, director of macroeconomic statistics, told reporters today in the capital, Kampala. Prices rose 2.6 percent in the month, after a 0.6 percent increase in July, he said.

Higher food prices were the result of lower supplies "to the market due to the effects of a long dry spell that affected most parts of the country," Mukiza said. Food prices make up 27 percent of the consumer-price basket.

Uganda's central bank left its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 11 percent this month after cutting it in July to curb price growth. The bank's Monetary Policy Committee meets again on Sept. 3 to decide on its latest monetary policy stance.

This month's inflation rate was the highest since August 2012, the statistics office said in a statement.

The Ugandan shilling weakened 0.1 percent to 2,592.50 per dollar by 11:52 a.m. in Kampala, heading for its weakest close since July 29, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

To contact the reporter on this story: Fred Ojambo in Kampala at fojambo@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Paul Richardson at pmrichardson@bloomberg.net