Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) — Index Levels, How It Works and How to Invest

The NSE is Kenya’s securities exchange, regulated by the Capital Markets Authority. This page carries the exchange’s published index levels and session totals, explains how buying shares actually works, and links to Serrari’s detailed guides on brokers, CDS accounts, listed companies and dividends.

NSE All Share Index (NASI)

246.06

+7.45

NSE 20 Share Index

4,306.00

+140.89

NSE 25 Share Index

6,943.35

+223.99

Published figures as of 21 September 2026. Source: Nairobi Securities Exchange — published Market Statistics Summary.

NSE Market Statistics Summary

As of 21 September 2026

These are the figures the Nairobi Securities Exchange publishes for the session — headline index levels and aggregate turnover. They are republished here with attribution and are not a live feed.

These figures are 30 days old. The NSE publishes a new summary each trading session — treat the numbers below as a snapshot from 21 September 2026, not as today's market.

Statistic	Latest published	Change
NSE All Share Index (NASI)Tracks every company listed on the exchange, weighted by market capitalisation.	246.06	+7.45
NSE 20 Share IndexThe 20-counter index, the exchange’s longest-running benchmark.	4,306.00	+140.89
NSE 25 Share IndexA 25-counter index of the exchange’s more liquid large caps.	6,943.35	+223.99
Total shares tradedNumber of shares that changed hands across the session.	29,385,785	−13,737,954
Equity turnoverTotal shilling value of equity trades for the session.	KES 1,018,334,093.83	−KES 611,398,465.09
ETF dealsNumber of exchange-traded fund deals in the session.	43	−22
ETF turnoverTotal shilling value of ETF trades for the session.	KES 988,768.00	−KES 1,537,263.00

Source: Nairobi Securities Exchange — published Market Statistics Summary. Figures as published for 21 September 2026.

Where to check live NSE share prices

Serrari does not republish per-share NSE prices. Redistributing the exchange's real-time and historical price data requires a licence we have not bought, so anywhere you see individual counter prices on this site they are quoted from a named source with a date, never presented as a live feed. For current prices, use the NSE's own market data pages or your stockbroker's platform — your broker's feed is the one your order will actually execute against.

What this page can give you is the part that does not change minute to minute: the published index levels above, and the mechanics of how the market works below. Our guide to checking NSE share prices walks through where each type of data comes from and how to read the timestamps.

What the NSE is, and what its indices measure

The Nairobi Securities Exchange is where shares in Kenya’s listed companies are bought and sold. It is regulated by the Capital Markets Authority, and the shares themselves are held electronically in Central Depository System accounts rather than as paper certificates.

Three headline indices are quoted for the market, and they answer different questions. The NSE All Share Index, usually called NASI, covers every listed company weighted by market capitalisation — so it tells you what the whole market did, but it is dominated by the largest counters. The NSE 20 Share Index is the exchange’s longest-running benchmark and tracks twenty counters. The NSE 25 Share Index covers twenty-five of the more liquid large caps.

The turnover figures matter more than they look. Equity turnover is the shilling value of everything traded in a session, and shares traded is the volume. Read together they tell you whether a move in the index came on real participation or on thin trading — a large index move on low turnover is a weaker signal than the number alone suggests. The indices compared in full →

How to buy shares on the NSE

Four steps stand between you and your first trade. The first two only happen once.

Open a CDS account

Shares on the NSE are held electronically in a Central Depository System account. You open one through a licensed stockbroker or investment bank — it is the account the shares actually sit in, separate from the broker you trade through.

Required before you can buy anything

Pick a licensed stockbroker

Only CMA-licensed brokers can place orders on the exchange. They differ on commission, platform quality and minimum account size, so the choice affects your costs on every trade you ever make.

Fund the account and place an order

You transfer money to the broker, then instruct a buy at market or at a limit price. Most brokers now accept orders through a web or mobile platform rather than by phone.

Settlement

Trades settle on a fixed cycle after execution, at which point the shares appear in your CDS account and the cash leaves. Until settlement completes the trade is agreed but not final.

Costs are where most first-time investors are caught out: brokerage commission, exchange and regulatory levies all come off the trade, and they matter far more on a small order than on a large one. See the full process and what it actually costs →

NSE guides

The detail behind each step, kept current by the Serrari editorial desk.

How to invest in NSE stocks

The beginner route, start to finish.

Every NSE-listed company

The full list with ticker and sector.

Kenyan stockbrokers compared

Every CMA-licensed firm, on cost.

Opening a CDS account

Including from outside Kenya.

The NSE indices explained

NASI, NSE 20, NSE 25 and NSE 10.

Trading hours and settlement

When the market runs, how trades clear.

NSE dividend calendar

Who pays, and when.

What buying shares actually costs

Commission, levies and the real total.

Online and mobile trading

Every broker platform, compared.

Analyst picks and watchlist

What the desk is watching this year.

NSE vs MMF vs property

Long-run returns, compared honestly.

Capital markets glossary

NSE, CDS, CMA, CDSC and 60 more terms.

NSE — Frequently Asked Questions

The NSE is Kenya’s securities exchange — the market where shares in listed Kenyan companies are bought and sold. It is regulated by the Capital Markets Authority, and shares bought there are held electronically in a Central Depository System (CDS) account rather than as paper certificates.

They measure different slices of the same market. The NSE All Share Index (NASI) covers every listed company weighted by market capitalisation, so it reflects the whole market but is dominated by the biggest counters. The NSE 20 Share Index tracks twenty counters and is the exchange’s longest-running benchmark. The NSE 25 Share Index covers twenty-five of the more liquid large caps. The current level of each is in the market statistics table above.

You need two things before your first trade: a CDS account, which is where the shares are actually held, and an account with a CMA-licensed stockbroker, who places the order on the exchange for you. Both are opened once. After that you fund the broker account and instruct a buy, either at the market price or at a limit you set, and the trade settles on a fixed cycle after execution.

Brokerage commission is the largest component, and it varies between brokers, which is why the choice matters on every trade you will ever place. On top of that sit exchange and regulatory levies. Because several of these are percentage-based with minimums, costs weigh far more heavily on a small order than a large one — worth modelling before you place a first trade rather than after.

Not here. Redistributing the NSE’s real-time and historical price data requires a licence Serrari has not bought, so this page carries only the exchange’s published index levels and session totals, dated and attributed. For live per-share prices use the NSE’s own market data pages or your stockbroker’s platform — and your broker’s feed is the one your order will actually execute against, which makes it the one that matters.

Equity turnover is the shilling value of everything traded in a session and total shares traded is the volume. Read alongside the index move they tell you how much conviction was behind it: a large index move on unusually low turnover rests on few trades and is a weaker signal than the index number alone suggests.

No. Kenyans abroad and foreign investors can hold NSE shares, but the account-opening process differs — the CDS account and broker onboarding both have their own documentation requirements from outside the country, and some brokers handle diaspora clients better than others.

They answer different questions. A money market fund aims to protect capital and pay a modest, relatively predictable yield you can access within days. Shares carry no such floor — the value can fall — but have historically offered higher long-run returns to investors who could leave the money alone. Most portfolios hold both, and which mix suits you depends on when you need the money.

Compare the NSE against everything else

Shares are one option among several. See what Kenyan money market funds, bonds, fixed deposits and savings accounts are paying right now.

Open the marketplace Compare MMF rates

From the Serrari Analyst Desk

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