Investors at the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) traded fewer shares during the week ending November 12, 2026, as equity turnover plunged by more than 96 per cent, according to the latest Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) report.
Data released by the Central Bank on Friday, November 13, showed that equity turnover dropped to KSh 4.15 billion during the week, down from KSh 109.88 billion recorded in the previous week ending November 5.
The value represented a 96.22 per cent decline in the amount of money involved in share transactions at the local bourse.
The number of shares traded also fell by 89.27 per cent, dropping from 1.169 billion shares to 125.41 million shares over the same period.
In addition, the total number of equity deals declined by 7.99 per cent, from 68,996 transactions to 63,482.
CBK highlighted the decline in its November 13 weekly bulletin, stating that at the Nairobi Securities Exchange, market capitalisation increased by 0.72 per cent while total shares traded and equity turnover decreased by 89.27 per cent and 96.22 per cent, respectively.
NSE Market Capitalisation Increases Despite Trading Slowdown
Despite trading activity at the Nairobi Securities Exchange falling sharply, the total value of listed companies increased during the week, according to the latest CBK data.
Market capitalisation rose from KSh 4.05 trillion in the previous week to KSh 4.08 trillion as of November 12, an increase of about KSh 29.17 billion, or 0.72 per cent.
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The Nairobi All Share Index (NASI), which tracks the performance of shares listed at the exchange, dipped slightly by 0.02 per cent.
NSE 25 Share Index rose by 0.54 per cent, closing at 6,798.63 points compared to 6,762.25 points the previous week.
The Exchange 20 Share Index also edged up by 0.16 per cent, from 4,167.97 points to 4,174.67 points.
“At the Nairobi Securities Exchange, the NASI share price index decreased by 0.02 per cent while NSE 25 and NSE 20 increased by 0.54 per cent and 0.16 per cent, respectively, during the week ending November 12, 2026. Market capitalisation also increased by 0.72 per cent while total shares traded and equity turnover decreased by 89.27 per cent and 96.22 per cent, respectively,” CBK said.
The latest figures come as shares at the Nairobi Securities Exchange plunged 97.6 per cent in the week ended October 30, as trading returned to normal after a multibillion-shilling block deal in Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) shares earlier in October.
Data from the Central Bank of Kenya’s weekly bulletin showed equity turnover fell 91.54 per cent to Sh3.85 billion from Sh42.7 billion the previous week, reflecting the deal’s outsized impact on market activity.
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The slowdown in equity trading came as activity in Kenya’s domestic secondary bond market increased.
According to CBK, bond turnover rose 55.27 per cent to KSh 81.43 billion during the week ending November 12, up from KSh 52.44 billion the previous week.
The increase indicated stronger trading activity in government securities even as equity turnover declined.
Meanwhile, in the international market, yields on Kenya’s Eurobonds increased by an average of 2.85 basis points during the week.
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