The Kenya shilling traded at 129.96 to the US dollar on November 5, 2026, according to the Central Bank of Kenya’s daily table. The pound gained to 175.18 shillings and the euro rose to 146.27, both higher than two days earlier. The Japanese yen, per 100 units, eased to 81.97.
The Central Bank of Kenya’s table for November 5, 2026, shows the shilling holding steady against the dollar at 129.96. That is almost identical to the 129.97 recorded on November 3, and to the 129.96 the bank reported in its weekly bulletin for the week ending November 20, 2025. The dollar rate has barely moved over the period.
The pound and euro moved more. Sterling rose to 175.18 shillings from 174.45 two days earlier, a gain of about 0.4 percent. The euro edged up to 146.27 from 145.82, a rise of about 0.3 percent. Against the shilling, the pound is now about 3.2 percent higher than in November 2025, while the euro is about 2.3 percent lower.
The Japanese yen, quoted per 100 units, slipped to 81.97 from 82.41, a fall of about 0.5 percent. The South African rand also firmed, to 7.89 shillings from 7.83. Those moves are small, but they show that the shilling’s stability against the dollar does not extend to every currency.
Because the dollar rate is steady, the changes in the pound and euro mostly reflect how those currencies are moving against the dollar. A stronger pound and a weaker euro over the past year therefore point to currency-specific trends, not a change in the shilling’s own position. Importers paying in sterling may find costs slightly higher, while those invoicing in euros may have some relief compared with a year earlier.
The table is a reference rate, and the rates banks and money transfer services offer customers usually differ from it. Businesses and households making foreign payments should check the rate they will actually receive before committing.
The shilling’s stability has been supported by the country’s foreign exchange reserves. In the week ending November 20, 2025, usable reserves stood at US$12.01 billion, equal to 5.2 months of import cover. Some economic forecasts published in late 2025 expected the shilling to weaken toward 134 per dollar by the end of 2026, a view the current figures do not yet reflect.
The CBK’s next weekly bulletins will show whether the shilling continues to hold near 130 to the dollar and whether sterling keeps its gains. Dollar demand from importers and manufacturers, along with movements in reserves, will be the key indicators to watch in the coming weeks.
