The Kenyan shilling gaining streak against the greenback began sometime in February this year, after a period of tumbling since early 2020. It hit a record low of 160 in January 2024.
The shilling had weakened to a low of 161 in January this year, on the back of an increased debt burden and diminishing foreign investor confidence.
A sustained gaining streak of the shilling against the dollar is good news for the consumers in the country, as it translates to relief from costly products.
As of July 10, 2024, the exchange rates against the Kenyan shilling stood at 128.75 USD, 139.25 EUR, 164.76 GBP, and 0.80 JPY.
Debt servicing expenses for the FY 2023/24 will amount to Sh1.8 trillion, or 90 per cent of the overall consolidated fund expenditures.
The decision is a win for the utility company which has recently faced challenges due to increased forex losses.
In Eastleigh's exchange bureaus, the shilling stood at between sh125-130 on Thursday afternoon.
The shilling has been on a positive trend over the past two weeks, much to the relief of businesses that import goods.
The Office of the Auditor-General said variances between prices that were budgeted and actual prices in the market were so high that some commodities couldn't be purchased.
The Kenyan shilling this week slipped to more than 150 to the dollar, a decline of almost 24 per cent over a year, and compared to around 100 in October 2018.
The shilling has been in decline for several years and plunged by almost 24 percent over the past year, under pressure from high debt levels and depleted government revenues.