USD to KES exchange rate
The US dollar to Kenyan shilling rates 16 named providers actually quote for USD→KES, grouped by provider type and benchmarked within it. Timestamped, append-only, and available over a free JSON API.
The first four cards follow the provider type chosen below; the mid does not depend on it. Latest IMTO check 29 Sep 2026, 16:05 UTC.
IMTOs are international money transfer operators — remittance companies such as LemFi, Remitly and Western Union, ranked against other IMTOs only.
| Provider | Rate 1 USD → KES | Spread vs best IMTO | vs Mid | Fee | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 130.84 | 0.0 bps | +99.4 bps | — | 29 Sep 2026, 16:05 UTC | |
| 128.89 | −148.5 bps | -50.5 bps | 0.49 USD | 29 Sep 2026, 16:05 UTC | |
| 128.40 | −186.0 bps | -88.5 bps | — | 29 Sep 2026, 16:05 UTC | |
| 128.38 | −188.1 bps | -90.6 bps | — | 29 Sep 2026, 16:05 UTC | |
| 128.21 | −200.8 bps | -103.4 bps | — | 29 Sep 2026, 16:05 UTC | |
| 128.20 | −201.5 bps | -104.1 bps | — | 29 Sep 2026, 16:05 UTC | |
| 128.20 | −201.5 bps | -104.1 bps | — | 29 Sep 2026, 16:05 UTC | |
| 127.69 | −240.5 bps | -143.5 bps | — | 29 Sep 2026, 16:05 UTC | |
| 126.67 | −318.8 bps | -222.6 bps | — | 29 Sep 2026, 16:05 UTC |
Rates are timestamped, append-only observations of what each named provider quotes — not interpolated mids. Spread is basis points below the best IMTO quote on this corridor (0 = best), never measured against another type. vs Mid compares each quote to the independent open.er-api.com reference. A quote not checked in the last 24 hours sits below a divider with its check date: never ranked or marked Best, and left out of the median and the counts. After 7 days unchecked it drops off the page.
About the USD→KES corridor
As of 29 Sep 2026, 16:05 UTC, the best IMTO rate on USD→KES is 130.84 KES per USD, quoted by WorldRemit. The median IMTO quote is 128.21, and the gap between the best and the worst IMTO quote is 318.8 bps.
As of 29 Sep 2026, 16:05 UTC, nine IMTOs, three fintechs & PSPs, two banks, a central bank and a crypto exchange quote this corridor, each ranked only among its own kind. The best fintech & PSP rate is Wise's 129.70, ranked among fintechs only; the best bank rate is Equity Bank (Kenya)'s 126.60, ranked among banks only. Accrue's 128.12 is the only crypto exchange quote, so it is not ranked. Central Bank of Kenya's official rate, 129.76, is shown for reference and never ranked: nobody can deal at a published reference.
The independent mid-market reference (open.er-api.com) was 129.55 KES per USD at 29 Sep 2026, 16:05 UTC. The best IMTO quote sits +99.4 bps from it.
Get this corridor by API
curl "https://modan.io/api/v1/rates?from=USD&to=KES&provider_type=imto" \ -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_KEY"
provider_type asks for one kind of provider; leave it off for every type, each ranked within its own. Free key on signup, 50 requests a day. The same data is served to AI agents by the MCP server at modan.io/api/mcp. See the API documentation.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the USD to KES exchange rate today?
- As of 29 Sep 2026, 16:05 UTC, the best IMTO rate Modan observed on USD→KES is 130.84 KES per USD, quoted by WorldRemit, and the best fintech & PSP rate is Wise's 129.70. 16 providers quote this corridor: nine IMTOs, three fintechs & PSPs, two banks, a central bank and a crypto exchange, each ranked only among its own kind. Every quote on the page carries the time Modan last checked it.
- Which IMTO has the best USD to KES rate?
- WorldRemit, at 130.84 KES per USD as of 29 Sep 2026, 16:05 UTC. "Best" is ranked among IMTOs still current (checked within the last 24 hours, with weekends not counted for banks, which publish on weekdays only); every other provider type is ranked among its own kind, never against IMTOs. Official and parallel reference prints are shown but never ranked.
- How is the spread on USD→KES calculated?
- Spread is the distance in basis points between a provider's rate and the best current rate of the same provider type — and the same kind of price — on the corridor at that moment (0 bps = the best of its kind), so an IMTO is only ever measured against IMTOs. A quote with nothing of its kind to rank it against, or one that is no longer current, shows no spread. vs Mid is a separate measure: the distance from an independent mid-market reference (open.er-api.com) that is refreshed hourly.
- How do I get USD to KES rates by API?
- Call GET https://modan.io/api/v1/rates?from=USD&to=KES with an X-API-Key header, and add provider_type=imto (or fintech_psp, commercial_bank …) to ask for one kind of provider. A free key allows 50 requests a day; the same data is available to AI agents through the MCP server at https://modan.io/api/mcp.