- The Central Bank of Kenya published its weekly bulletin on Friday, November 13, covering exchange rate movements up to November 12, 2026
- Kenya’s foreign exchange reserves declined by USD 94 million between November 5 and November 12, though they remained above the statutory minimum
- The Kenyan shilling recorded mixed movement against East African Community currencies during the review week
TUKO.co.ke journalist Japhet Ruto has over eight years of experience in financial, business, and technology reporting, offering insights into Kenyan and global economic trends.
Kenya’s foreign exchange reserves fell by USD 94 million in the week ending November 12, 2026, dropping from USD 14,699 million to USD 14,605 million, according to the Central Bank of Kenya’s (CBK) weekly bulletin published on Friday, November 13.
Source: Twitter
Despite the decline, the reserves remained sufficient, covering 5.9 months of imports, well above the CBK’s statutory threshold of at least four months of import cover.
According to CBK, the shilling held steady against the US dollar throughout the review period, exchanging at KSh 129.96 per dollar on both November 5 and November 12, signalling broad stability against major international currencies.
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Kenyan shilling against EAC currencies
Performance within the East African Community (EAC) was mixed.
The shilling weakened against the Ugandan shilling, with the rate shifting from 31.62 to 31.47, indicating a marginal loss in relative value.
Against the Tanzanian shilling and the Rwandese franc, the Kenyan currency held its ground, with exchange rates unchanged at 20.39 and 11.36 respectively across both dates.
The shilling recorded a marginal gain against the Burundian franc, with the rate edging up from 23.09 to 23.13 reflecting a slight strengthening of the Kenyan currency in that pairing.
The CBK figures reflect the number of units of each regional currency equivalent to one Kenyan shilling. Under this convention, a falling rate against a given currency means the shilling has weakened, while a rising rate indicates it has strengthened.
Overall, the week’s data points to a broadly stable shilling, with contained movement across EAC trading pairs and no change recorded against the dollar, even as reserves registered a moderate decline.
Is Kenyan shilling weakening?
The Kenyan shilling has weakened against the US dollar compared with previous months, inching closer to the KSh130 mark.
The latest rate reflects a gradual loss of ground against the greenback, with the shilling remaining under pressure despite relatively small daily movements.
Meanwhile, Kenya’s foreign exchange reserves have declined but remain above the Central Bank of Kenya’s minimum import-cover requirement.
Source: TUKO.co.ke