- The Kenyan shilling recorded its biggest EAC weekly gain against the Ugandan shilling between October 15 and 22, 2026
- CBK figures show the shilling moved in different directions against major global currencies during the same period
- Kenya's economy expanded by 5.1% in Q2 2026, with services leading growth while agriculture and industry slowed
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.
The Kenyan shilling posted mixed results against a basket of currencies in the week ending 22 October 2026.
Source: Facebook
It strengthened against East African neighbours Uganda and Tanzania but lost ground against the British pound and the euro, according to data from the Central Bank of Kenya.
Against the Ugandan shilling, the Kenyan currency recorded its sharpest regional gain, rising from 30.46 to 32.26 Ugandan shillings per KSh1 over the seven-day period, a shift of 1.80 units.
The Tanzanian shilling saw a more modest move, edging from 20.26 to 20.35, while rates against the Rwandan franc and Burundian franc were virtually unchanged, slipping by just 0.01 and 0.02 respectively.
On the international front, the shilling weakened against the British pound, which moved from 171.30 to 173.92 per KSh1, a change of 2.62 units.
The euro also nudged higher, climbing from 144.43 to 145.83. The rate for 100 Japanese yen moved from 81.70 to 82.18, indicating a slight depreciation of the shilling against the yen as well.
The Kenyan shilling held largely steady against the US dollar, which drifted only marginally from 129.81 to 129.91 over the same period.
How did Kenya's economy perform?
The weekly exchange-rate data arrives against a backdrop of relatively solid domestic economic performance.
Kenya's gross domestic product expanded by 5.1% in the second quarter of 2026, up from 4.9% recorded in the same quarter of the previous year.
The services sector was a key pillar of that growth, expanding by 5.8% in the April-to-June period compared to 5.5% a year earlier, supported by activity in finance, insurance, information and communication, transport and storage, and accommodation and food services.
Manufacturing and electricity and water supply also contributed positively during the quarter.
Agriculture and industry sectors, however, recorded slower growth rates of 3.5% and 4.4% respectively in the second quarter of 2026, compared to 4% and 4.6% during the same period in 2025.
Source: TUKO.co.ke