The Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) closed the trading session on a positive note, with key market indices recording broad-based gains amid a sharp rise in equity turnover.
The NASI led the rally, advancing by 0.8%, while the N10 Index gained 0.6%. The NSE 25 Index rose by 0.5%, and the NSE 20 edged up marginally by 0.1%, reflecting improved sentiment across selected large-cap and blue-chip stocks.
Market activity strengthened significantly, with equity turnover more than doubling to USD 1.7 million, representing a 102.3% increase from the previous session. Local investors remained the dominant participants, accounting for 52.5% of total turnover, although this was a notable decline from the 95.6% recorded in the last trading session on Friday.
Safaricom emerged as the most actively traded counter, contributing 22.1% of the day’s turnover. The telecommunications giant saw its share price rise by 1.8% to close at KES 29.00, underpinning the market’s overall bullish performance.
In the banking sector, trading was mixed. KCB Group and Stanbic Holdings both dipped by 0.4% to close at KES 65.50 and KES 197.00, respectively. Equity Group, however, posted modest gains, edging up by 0.4% to KES 67.25.
Within the energy and utilities segment, Kenya Power added 0.4% to close at KES 13.65, while KenGen remained flat at KES 9.18, showing little price movement during the session.
Uchumi Supermarkets topped the gainers’ list after surging by 9.7% to KES 1.24. Centum Investment Company led the laggards, shedding 6.4% to close at KES 13.10.
Despite the upbeat market close, foreign investors were net sellers, recording net outflows of USD 206,000. Safaricom attracted the highest foreign buying interest, while Stanbic accounted for the bulk of foreign selling.
Investor attention now shifts to macroeconomic indicators, with the December 2025 Stanbic Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) expected to be released tomorrow, offering fresh insights into the health of Kenya’s private sector.