The Kenyan shilling edged lower against the US dollar during the week ending October 29, 2026, according to data published by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) in its weekly bulletin released on Friday, October 30. The shilling weakened marginally but remained stable. The shilling traded at KSh 129.96 per US dollar on October 29, compared to KSh 129.91 recorded on October 22, reflecting a marginal depreciation over the seven-day period. The CBK described the shilling as having remained broadly stable during the review week. Shilling’s movement over recent months The latest figures continue a gradual weakening trend observed over recent months. On August 27, 2026, the shilling exchanged at KSh 129.47 per US dollar, slightly up from KSh 129.49 on August 20 of the same month. Earlier, on July 30, 2026, the rate stood at KSh 129.40 per dollar. Taken together, the data shows the shilling has depreciated by approximately KSh 0.56 against the dollar between late July and late October 2026.
What is the value of Kenya’s foreign exchange reserves? The CBK also reported that Kenya’s foreign exchange reserves remained at a comfortable level. As of October 29, reserves stood at USD 14,740 million, equivalent to 5.9 months of import cover. This figure surpasses the CBK’s statutory requirement to maintain a minimum of four months of import cover, indicating that the country retains a sufficient buffer to meet its external obligations. The CBK publishes weekly exchange rate and reserves data as part of its mandate to monitor and maintain monetary stability in Kenya. How is the Ugandan shilling performing? In other news, we also highlighted facts about the Ugandan shilling’s decline, the central bank’s emergency rate hike and President Yoweri Museveni’s decision not to use foreign reserves to support the currency. The shilling fell more than 11% in one month and briefly hit UGX 4,500 per dollar, its weakest nominal level in over three decades. Uganda’s reserves cover about 3.7 months of imports, below the central bank’s four-month target.
