Kenyan shilling reaches 129.91 to the dollar
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Tuko
The Kenyan shilling stood at 129.91 to the dollar on 22 October 2026, compared with 129.81 a week earlier. The currency has weakened since August while foreign exchange reserves have fallen for five consecutive weeks, Kenyan media outlet Tuko reports, citing the Central Bank of Kenya’s weekly bulletin.
The Kenyan shilling traded at 129.91 shillings to the dollar on 22 October, according to data from the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK). The currency lost 10 cents in one week, after a rate of 129.81 to the dollar on 15 October, according to the weekly bulletin published on Friday 23 October.
The shilling also weakened from the rate of 129.41 recorded on 6 August. Kenya’s foreign exchange reserves reached $14.693 billion on 22 October, compared with $14.689 billion a week earlier. They had peaked at $15.042 billion on 24 September before declining in the following weeks, according to the CBK.
Import cover fell from 6.1 months at the end of September and the beginning of October to 5.9 months for the three weeks ending 22 October. The central bank calculates this indicator using the 36-month average of imports of goods and non-factor services. It estimates that the reserves meet its legal obligation to seek to maintain cover of at least four months.
