Cheapest way to send money to Kenya?

Sendwave, Wise, and WorldRemit consistently lead KES corridors with margins under 1.5%. Sendwave's zero-fee policy makes it the cheapest choice for small transfers; Wise offers the best rate on larger ones.

Why is M-Pesa so important for Kenya remittances?

M-Pesa has over 30 million active users in Kenya — most adults. Sending to an M-Pesa wallet is faster, cheaper, and more reliable than bank deposit for most recipients, who can withdraw cash at any of 200,000+ M-Pesa agents nationwide.

How fast does M-Pesa delivery work?

International providers credit M-Pesa wallets within seconds to minutes. Recipients receive an SMS notification immediately and can withdraw cash, pay bills, or transfer to other M-Pesa users right away.

Are remittances taxable in Kenya?

No — personal remittances to family in Kenya are exempt from income tax. The CBK and government actively encourage formal-channel remittances.

What's the best provider for sending GBP to Kenya?

WorldRemit (founded by a Kenyan-Somali entrepreneur) has particularly strong GBP→KES coverage. Sendwave and Wise are also highly competitive on this corridor.

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Kenyan Shilling (KES) Live Exchange Rate & Remittance Guide

KES · KSh · Central Bank of Kenya (CBK)

1 USD =

KSh129.45

Live (cached)

About the Kenyan Shilling

The Kenyan Shilling replaced the East African Shilling in 1966 and floated freely from 1993. Kenya is a regional financial hub for East Africa, and the KES is one of Africa's most-traded currencies. The 2007 launch of M-Pesa transformed Kenya into the global pioneer of mobile money.

Why KES matters for remittance

Kenya receives roughly $4.2 billion in remittances annually — the largest single source of foreign exchange for the country. Major sending corridors are USA, UK, Saudi Arabia, Tanzania, and Germany. The Kenyan diaspora in North America and Europe is a fast-growing remittance source.

KES cross-rates

Live

What 1 Kenyan Shilling (KES) is worth in major currencies right now, at the wholesale mid-market rate.

Currency	1 KSh KES =	Inverse (1 unit in KES)
USD USA	$0.007725 USD	KSh129.45 KES
EUR Europe	€0.006653 EUR	KSh150.31 KES
GBP UK	£0.005753 GBP	KSh173.82 KES
INR India	₹0.730335 INR	KSh1.3692 KES
AED UAE	د.إ0.028375 AED	KSh35.243 KES

USD rate is live from Wise's comparison API; other reference rates are derived from the latest USD-anchored mid-market table. Retail providers add a margin on top — see the comparison table on each corridor page for the rate you'll actually receive.

Compare KES corridors

See live rates and the best providers for each pair.

USD→KES GBP→KES EUR→KES ZAR→KES AED→KES

Kenya remittance guide

Country profile for sending money TO Kenya — delivery methods, regulations, recipient guidance.

🇰🇪 Send to Kenya

KES remittance regulations

CBK regulates inbound remittances under the National Payment System Act. M-Pesa is the dominant delivery channel — most international providers integrate directly with M-Pesa for instant credit. Personal remittances are tax-exempt.

How to send Kenyan Shilling (KES)

Choose a provider with M-Pesa integration (Wise, Remitly, Sendwave, WorldRemit) for instant mobile-money delivery.
For bank deposit, KCB, Equity Bank, Co-op Bank, and NCBA are widely supported.
Sendwave's zero-fee model is hard to beat for KES corridors under $500.
Cash pickup is available via Western Union and MoneyGram throughout Kenyan urban centres.

Currency facts

ISO 4217: 404
Sub-unit: 100 cents = 1 shilling
Central bank: Central Bank of Kenya (CBK)
Daily FX volume: $300 million/day
Symbol: KSh
52-week range (vs USD): 127 – 132

Frequently asked questions

Live rates fetched from Wise's public comparison API. For currency conversion mid-rates we display Wise's quoted rate, which has zero markup. Methodology.