Best USD to KES Exchange Rate Today
Compare USD to KES exchange rates and see the estimated Kenyan shillings your recipient gets from each provider CheckRate tracks on this route. Rates are collected through the day; the provider's app shows the final amount before you pay.
USD →KES
Amount: 100 USD · 6 providers compared
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CheckRate compares rates only. Click a provider to send money on their platform. Rates are the latest checked and may have changed since. Always confirm the final amount on the provider's app before sending.
USD to KES Rate History
The highest rate CheckRate recorded each day among the providers we track. Wise is not included, because it charges its fee separately.
Latest highest rate (19 Oct): 129.20 KES per USD , close to the 90-day average of 128.84.
- 90-day high
- 129.20 on 18 Oct
- 90-day low
- 128.65 on 18 Aug
- Days with recorded rates
- 51 of the last 90
Each point is the highest of the providers' average rates for that day (UTC), Wise excluded. Breaks in the line are days when no rates were recorded; nothing is estimated to fill them. Past rates do not predict future rates.
View these figures as a table
| Day | Best rate (KES per USD) | Providers recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 19 Oct | 129.20 | 5 |
| 18 Oct | 129.20 | 5 |
| 17 Oct | 129.19 | 5 |
| 16 Oct | 128.92 | 5 |
| 15 Oct | 128.87 | 5 |
| 14 Oct | 128.85 | 5 |
| 13 Oct | 128.85 | 5 |
| 12 Oct | 128.86 | 5 |
| 11 Oct | 128.86 | 5 |
| 10 Oct | 128.86 | 5 |
| 9 Oct | 128.89 | 5 |
| 8 Oct | 128.90 | 5 |
| 7 Oct | 128.86 | 5 |
| 6 Oct | 128.86 | 5 |
| 5 Oct | 128.85 | 5 |
| 4 Oct | 128.85 | 5 |
| 3 Oct | 128.85 | 5 |
| 31 Aug | 128.68 | 5 |
| 30 Aug | 128.68 | 5 |
| 29 Aug | 128.67 | 5 |
| 28 Aug | 128.66 | 5 |
| 27 Aug | 128.66 | 5 |
| 26 Aug | 128.66 | 5 |
| 25 Aug | 128.66 | 5 |
| 24 Aug | 128.67 | 5 |
| 23 Aug | 128.68 | 5 |
| 22 Aug | 128.68 | 5 |
| 21 Aug | 128.69 | 5 |
| 20 Aug | 128.73 | 5 |
| 19 Aug | 128.70 | 5 |
| 18 Aug | 128.65 | 5 |
| 17 Aug | 128.68 | 5 |
| 16 Aug | 128.75 | 5 |
| 15 Aug | 128.75 | 5 |
| 14 Aug | 128.89 | 5 |
| 13 Aug | 128.95 | 5 |
| 12 Aug | 128.95 | 5 |
| 11 Aug | 128.96 | 5 |
| 10 Aug | 128.98 | 5 |
| 9 Aug | 128.98 | 5 |
| 8 Aug | 128.98 | 5 |
| 7 Aug | 129.02 | 5 |
| 3 Aug | 129.00 | 5 |
| 2 Aug | 129.00 | 5 |
| 1 Aug | 129.00 | 5 |
| 31 Jul | 129.00 | 5 |
| 30 Jul | 128.86 | 5 |
| 29 Jul | 128.81 | 5 |
| 28 Jul | 128.95 | 5 |
| 27 Jul | 128.81 | 5 |
| 26 Jul | 128.66 | 5 |
USD to KES: What Our Records Show
Between 21 June 2026 and 19 October 2026, CheckRate recorded 75 days of USD to KES rates with at least three providers. Sendwave had the highest standard exchange rate on 63 days, Pesa on 4 days, LemFi on 4 days and Taptap Send on 4 days. Remitly did not have the highest rate on any of those days. Remitly had the lowest rate most often (73 days). Where two providers tied, both are counted.
On a typical day the gap between the highest and lowest rate was 0.96%, ranging from 0.74% to 1.3%. On a transfer of 500 US dollars, a 0.96% gap is worth about 4.80 US dollars in what your recipient gets. The highest daily rate moved between about 129 and 129 KES per US dollar.
How we count: each provider's last recorded standard rate of the day. Wise is left out because it charges a separate fee that these records do not include, and Remitly's first-transfer promotional rate is left out. These are exchange rates only; a transfer fee can change which provider gives the most, which is why the table above works out the amount received. Our records have a gap in September 2026, when our rate collector was offline.
More on how CheckRate collects and checks rates is on the methodology page.
Quick Tips
- 1Always compare the estimated receive amount, not just the headline rate.
- 2Rates change daily. The best provider today may not be best tomorrow.
- 3Check how you will pay: some providers charge differently for card and bank payments, and the app shows this before you confirm.
- 4Check the recipient's details, such as the account number, before you send. A transfer to the wrong account can be hard to reverse.
Rates shown are the latest checked by CheckRate. Not guaranteed final transfer amounts. Always confirm on the provider's platform before sending.
Frequently Asked Questions: USD to KES
Which providers does CheckRate compare for USD to KES?
The comparison currently shows Wise, Taptap Send, LemFi, Sendwave, Pesa and Remitly. A provider appears when its rate for this route has been collected within the last day, so the list can change. CheckRate is not paid by these providers.
Which provider pays the most Kenyan shillings for US dollars?
It changes. In CheckRate's records from 21 June 2026 to 19 October 2026 (75 days), the highest standard exchange rate came from Sendwave on 63 days, Pesa on 4 days, LemFi on 4 days and Taptap Send on 4 days. Wise and promotional first-transfer rates are not included, and a transfer fee can change the order, so compare the amount received on the day you send.
How much difference does the provider make on USD to KES?
On a typical day in that period the highest rate was 0.96% above the lowest, and the gap ranged from 0.74% to 1.3%. On 500 US dollars, 0.96% is about 4.80 US dollars worth of Kenyan shillings.
Does the table include fees?
Yes. Each row shows the fee CheckRate has on record and the estimated amount received after that fee. In the latest records for this route, Taptap Send, LemFi, Pesa and Remitly showed no transfer fee, and these fees were on record: Sendwave 0.49 USD. Wise uses the mid-market rate and charges its fee on top, which the table works out from Wise's published prices. Fees can depend on the amount and how you pay, so the final figure is the one the provider shows before you confirm.
How can I check a provider is licensed to send money from the United States?
US money transmitters register with FinCEN and need a licence in each state they serve, which you can check on NMLS Consumer Access. When we checked (9 to 11 October 2026): TapTap Send Payments Co. (NMLS 2108069) showed 48 active state licences or registrations; LemFi's US company Pomelo Two US LLC (NMLS 2523778) held money transmitter licences in 15 states, and LemFi says a partner licensed institution provides the service elsewhere; WorldRemit Corp., which trades as Sendwave and WorldRemit (NMLS 1179663), showed 54 active state licences; Pesapeer Payments LLC is listed in FinCEN's money services business search; Remitly, Inc. is listed in FinCEN's money services business search. Under the CFPB Remittance Rule you can usually cancel within 30 minutes for free, unless the money has already been picked up or deposited, and you have 180 days to report an error.
Is there a limit on M-PESA transfers to Kenya?
Yes. Safaricom's published limits are KES 250,000 per transaction and KES 500,000 per day, with a maximum M-PESA balance of KES 500,000. Taptap Send, LemFi, Sendwave, Remitly and WorldRemit all list M-PESA on their own Kenya pages. For amounts above these limits, send to a bank account.
Does the US remittance tax apply to this transfer?
Only if you pay in cash or a similar physical instrument. The 1% federal remittance transfer tax that started on 1 January 2026 applies, according to IRS Notice 2025-55, only to transfers funded with cash, a money order, a cashier's check or a similar physical instrument. Proposed regulations published in April 2026 exclude transfers paid from a bank account or with a US-issued debit or credit card.