The Kenyan shilling traded at Sh129.89 to the US dollar on Friday, October 23, 2026, according to the Central Bank of Kenya’s (CBK) daily exchange rates, staying in the narrow range it has held all month just below the Sh130 mark.
That is three cents stronger than the Sh129.92 quoted on Wednesday, October 21, and 13 cents weaker than the Sh129.76 recorded on October 5. The CBK’s weekly bulletins show the currency moving between Sh129.71 and Sh129.94 through October, after it traded at Sh129.48 on September 24. The CBK has described it as stable against major international and regional currencies throughout.
Against other major currencies, the shilling was quoted at Sh173.58 to the British pound, down from Sh173.76 on Wednesday, and Sh145.34 to the euro, down from Sh145.82. It weakened slightly against the Japanese yen, which rose to Sh82.62 per 100 yen from Sh82.14. Against the South African rand, the shilling firmed, with the rand at Sh7.86 compared with Sh7.91 two days earlier.
In the region, one Kenyan shilling bought 33.14 Ugandan shillings, up from 32.17 on Wednesday, and 11.36 Rwandan francs, up from 11.35. It bought 20.36 Tanzanian shillings, down from 20.39.
The currency continues to be backed by a solid reserve buffer. The CBK reported foreign exchange reserves of $14.689 billion, equivalent to 5.9 months of import cover, as of October 15. That is above the statutory minimum of four months, though lower than the $15.253 billion, or 6.3 months of cover, recorded in the week ending September 10.
The Monetary Policy Committee left the Central Bank Rate unchanged at 8.75 percent this month, saying the stance is appropriate to keep inflation expectations anchored and the exchange rate stable. The money market remained liquid in the week ending October 15, with commercial banks holding average excess reserves of Sh20.5 billion above the 3.25 percent cash reserve requirement, and the Kenya Shilling Overnight Interbank Average (KESONA) steady at 8.75 percent.
Globally, the US Dollar Index weakened by 0.15 percent in the week ending October 15, after rising 0.20 percent in the week ending October 8.
