The Kenyan shilling remained stable against major international and regional currencies during the week ending November 12, 2026, trading at KSh129.96 against the US dollar, according to the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK).
In its latest Monetary and Financial Developments report released on November 13, CBK said the exchange rate remained unchanged from November 5, reflecting continued stability in the foreign exchange market.
The country’s foreign exchange reserves stood at USD14.605 billion, equivalent to 5.9 months of import cover as of November 12. This remains above the statutory minimum requirement of four months of import cover, providing a buffer against external economic shocks.
However, remittance inflows recorded a slight decline. Kenyans living abroad sent USD430.5 million in October 2026, compared to USD438.8 million during the same month in 2025, representing a 1.9 per cent decrease.
Cumulative remittances over the 12 months to October also declined by 1.1 per cent to USD5.023 billion, down from USD5.082 billion recorded during a similar period in 2025.
Meanwhile, the money market remained liquid, with commercial banks’ excess reserves averaging KSh31.5 billion above the Cash Reserve Ratio requirement. The Kenya Shilling Overnight Interbank Average remained stable at 8.75 per cent.
In the government securities market, Treasury bills attracted bids worth KSh69.3 billion against an advertised KSh28 billion, representing a performance rate of 247.3 per cent. Interest rates across the 91-day, 182-day and 364-day Treasury bills declined marginally.
At the Nairobi Securities Exchange, market capitalisation increased by 0.72 per cent, while the NSE 25 and NSE 20 indices gained 0.54 per cent and 0.16 per cent, respectively.
Globally, Murban crude oil prices declined to USD90.07 per barrel, while gold prices fell to USD3,876.4 per ounce during the review period.