Daily Market Update
MARKET UPDATE FOR 19th May 2026
LOCAL MARKET
USD/KES
The Kenya shilling was stable against the US dollar on Monday, market data showed. Expected range today is 126.50 -131.50
| INDICATIVE FOREX RATES | ||||
| CROSS RATES | AGAINST KES | |||
| USD | 126.50 | 131.50 | ||
| GBP | 1.3264 | 1.3667 | 167.79 | 179.72 |
| EUR | 1.1492 | 1.1794 | 145.37 | 155.09 |
| JPY | 157.49 | 160.53 | 0.7880 | 0.8350 |
| ZAR | 15.138 | 18.145 | 6.97 | 8.69 |
| CHF | 0.7802 | 0.7906 | 160.01 | 168.55 |
| CAD | 1.3696 | 1.3797 | 91.69 | 96.01 |
| KES/UGX | 3715 | 3825 | 28.25 | 30.24 |
| KES/TZS | 2525 | 2685 | 19.02 | 21.23 |
MONEY MARKET
CBK analysis on Monday showed excess liquidity in the market. The regulator was therefore in the market to mop Kes 160Bn in 1,7 and 14 day TAD in order to remain within the monetary policy path set by the MPC.
| LOCAL MONEY MARKET | |||
| TREASURY BILLS AND BONDS (MIO KES) | |||
| Tenor | 91-day | 182-day | 364-day |
| Amount Offered | 4,000.00 | 10,000.00 | 10,000.00 |
| Bids Received | 7,322.59 | 7,847.57 | 11,236.47 |
| Amount Accepted | 7,313.20 | 7,838.95 | 11,229.17 |
| Current Rate | 8.3176% | 8.2123 % | 8.5631% |
| Previous Rate | 8.1895 % | 8.2100 % | 8.5145 % |
GLOBAL MARKETS
Oil prices fell 2% on Tuesday in early Asian trade after U.S. President Donald Trump said he had paused a planned attack on Iran to allow for negotiations to end the war in the Middle East.
The EUR/USD pair trades in negative territory around 1.1645 during the early Asian trading hours on Tuesday. The EUR softens against the USD amid persistent uncertainty in the Middle East surrounding Iran. European Central Bank (ECB) Chief Economist Philip Lane is set to speak later in the day. Hawkish comments from ECB policy makers could provide some support to the shared currency.
The GBP/USD rose on Monday to 1.3405, but remained just above its lowest since early April, which it hit earlier, as concern over a spike in inflation from rising energy prices collided with a political crisis in Britain. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is under intense pressure to quit after dismal local election results earlier in May, which has pushed up gilt yields sharply and weighed on the pound. Source: Reuters
| LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL BENCHMARK RATES | |||
| Local Inflation | 5.6% | ||
| KES CBR | 8.75% | ||
| GBP BOE RATE | 3.75% | ||
| EUR ECB RATE | 2.15% | ||
| USD FED RATE | 3.75% | ||
| SOFR O/N RATE | 3.66%, 1.932%, 3.7299% | ||
| BRENT OIL ($/BARREL) | 110.09 | ||
| MURBAN CRUDE ($/BARREL) | 103.29 | ||
For firm quotes and more information on other treasury products kindly contact our treasury team
Treasury team: Milton Onyuna, Martin Githinji, Calvince Amallah, Elizabeth Kiarie, Dennis Ingolo and Oliver Kilonzo.
Telephone Contacts: 020 3275 XXX; EXT.244/558/526/221/245/378
Mobile Lines: 0703 058 XXX; EXT.244/558/526/221/245/378
Email: dealing@boakenya.com
Disclaimer
Whilst every care has been taken in compiling this market update, the Bank will not be responsible for any and shall be exempt from all liabilities in respect of any loss of any kind whatsoever, incurred by any persons as a consequence of relying on the above information or otherwise.