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USD/KES - Live Chart & Exchange Rate

1 USD = 128.4203 KES

Indicative rate, updated 22 hours ago. Not a live dealing rate - confirm with your broker before trading.

USD/KES Sentiment Gauge

A live technical-analysis reading for USD/KES, from Strong Sell to Strong Buy, updated automatically by TradingView. Forex has no reliable, freely-published Fear & Greed Index the way stocks or crypto do, so this momentum-based gauge is shown instead.

USD/KES tracks the US Dollar against the Kenyan Shilling, driven mainly by external debt payments. As a fellow East African Community currency, its moves are a useful comparison point for how the Tanzanian Shilling is performing.

Rates shown here are indicative only, sourced periodically rather than streamed live. Confirm the exact rate with your bank or broker before converting funds or opening a trade.

USD/KES Key Statistics

Latest

128.4203

1 Oct 2026

Highest since Mar 2024

142.9968

6 Mar 2024

Lowest since Mar 2024

127.7189

17 Jul 2024

12-month average

129.2860

128.4203 – 130.0638

30 days: -0.77% 90 days: -0.82% 1 year: -0.79%

Over the past year USD/KES has fallen 0.79%, meaning the USD has weakened against the KES. In the last 30 days it has moved down 0.77%. Across the last 12 months it traded between 128.4203 and 130.0638. Its highest level in the data window (since March 2024) was 142.9968 on 6 Mar 2024, and its lowest was 127.7189 on 17 Jul 2024.

Based on weekly data from 6 Mar 2024 to 1 Oct 2026. Source: weekly rate snapshots (currency-api). A rising rate means the USD is strengthening against the KES. Past performance does not predict future results.

What Moves USD/KES

A pair's price is one currency's value measured against another, so the economy behind each side matters.

US Dollar (USD)

United States · Federal Reserve (Fed) · Free float

The US Dollar is the world's dominant reserve and trading currency. It sits on one side of roughly nine in ten forex trades, and most commodities, including gold and oil, are priced in it.

Major contributors to the economy

  • Services and finance
  • Technology
  • Advanced manufacturing
  • Energy (a leading oil and gas producer)
  • Healthcare and pharmaceuticals
  • Agriculture and defence exports

Key factors

  • Federal Reserve interest-rate policy. Rate decisions, projections and speeches by Fed officials set expectations for US interest rates, the single biggest driver of Dollar value.
  • US inflation and jobs data. CPI/PCE inflation and the monthly Non-Farm Payrolls report shift rate expectations and move the Dollar within minutes.
  • Treasury yields. Higher US bond yields relative to other countries attract capital and lift the Dollar.
  • Safe-haven demand. In global stress the Dollar usually rallies as investors seek safety and liquidity.
  • US fiscal and political developments. Government debt levels, budget standoffs, tariffs and trade policy affect confidence in US assets.

Kenyan Shilling (KES)

Kenya · Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) · Floating

The Kenyan Shilling is the currency of East Africa's largest economy and Tanzania's biggest trading partner in the East African Community.

Major contributors to the economy

  • Agriculture (tea, horticulture, coffee)
  • Tourism
  • Remittances
  • Financial services and mobile money
  • Transport and logistics

Key factors

  • External debt payments. Large Dollar debt repayments can pressure the Shilling.
  • Tea, horticulture and tourism earnings. Kenya's main sources of foreign currency.
  • CBK policy. Interest-rate decisions by the Central Bank of Kenya.

How USD and KES Interact

The US Dollar is a traditional safe haven. In periods of market stress, investors tend to move money into it, which often pushes it higher against the Kenyan Shilling even when local economic data is unchanged.

The Kenyan Shilling is an emerging or frontier-market currency. Compared with a major reserve currency, its market is thinner, so shifts in global risk appetite, Dollar liquidity and capital flows can move it faster and further than fundamentals alone would suggest.

Central-bank policy matters on both sides: the Federal Reserve (Fed) and the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK). When one of them is expected to keep interest rates higher than the other, that currency usually attracts capital and strengthens; a narrowing gap tends to reverse the move.

Markets to Watch

  • US 10-year Treasury yield USD

    Typically rises with the Dollar

  • Gold USD

    Usually moves inversely to the Dollar

  • S&P 500 / risk sentiment USD

    Risk-off episodes tend to boost the Dollar

  • Tea auction prices (Mombasa) KES

    Support export earnings

Events & Data to Follow

  • USD FOMC meetings (8 per year)
  • USD Non-Farm Payrolls (first Friday of the month)
  • USD CPI and PCE inflation
  • USD Fed chair speeches and meeting minutes
  • KES CBK Monetary Policy Committee meetings
  • KES Kenyan inflation data
  • KES Eurobond and IMF updates

Historical Milestones

  1. 2008 USD

    The global financial crisis triggered a surge in safe-haven Dollar demand.

  2. 2014-15 USD

    The Fed signalled tighter policy while other central banks eased, driving a powerful Dollar rally.

  3. 2020 USD

    In March 2020 a global "dash for Dollars" sent the currency sharply higher before the Fed flooded markets with liquidity.

  4. 2022 USD

    The fastest Fed hiking cycle in decades pushed the Dollar to a roughly 20-year high, including parity with the Euro.

  5. 2024 KES

    The Shilling fell to record lows near 160 per Dollar in January, then recovered strongly after a successful Eurobond buyback.

Why USD/KES Matters to Tanzanian Traders

Kenya and Uganda are Tanzania's partners in the East African Community, so USD/KES matters for regional trade, cross-border business and remittances, and is a useful yardstick for the Shilling.

Compare brokers offering these pairs →

Risks & Trading Hours

  • Surprise policy shifts or data can cause abrupt moves. (USD)
  • Political events such as tariffs or debt-ceiling standoffs can shake the Dollar. (USD)
  • Debt-repayment pressure. (KES)
  • Limited liquidity and wide spreads. (KES)

Most active: New York session (and the London-New York overlap) • Nairobi business hours and the London session

USD/KES FAQ

What is the current USD/KES exchange rate?

1 USD is worth about 128.4203 KES (indicative, updated 22 hours ago). Always confirm the exact rate with your bank or broker before you convert or trade.

What is the all-time high and low of USD/KES?

In the data we track (since 6 Mar 2024), USD/KES peaked at 142.9968 on 6 Mar 2024 and bottomed at 127.7189 on 17 Jul 2024.

What moves the USD/KES exchange rate?

USD/KES is influenced by the relative strength of the US Dollar and the Kenyan Shilling. Key factors include: Federal Reserve interest-rate policy, US inflation and jobs data, External debt payments, Tea, horticulture and tourism earnings. See the sections above for the full list.

When is the best time to trade USD/KES?

Activity and liquidity are typically highest during: New York session (and the London-New York overlap) • Nairobi business hours and the London session. Spreads are usually tighter when the relevant markets are open.

Is USD/KES good for beginners?

USD/KES can be more volatile or carry wider spreads than the major pairs, so it usually suits experienced traders better. If you are new, start with a demo account and a major pair such as EUR/USD.

This page is educational. Rates, statistics and commentary are indicative and may contain errors or be out of date.

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