Compare today's KES to RWF (Kenyan Shilling to Rwandan Franc) exchange rates
📈 Kenya to Rwanda Money Transfer Snapshot Today
- Best KES to RWF exchange rate today: RWF 10.8157, offered by Mukuru
- Number of money transfer providers compared: 1
- Number of deals and promo codes: 0
- Mid-market
ⓘThe mid-market exchange rate (also called the interbank rate) is the real KES to RWF exchange rate before providers add their margin or fees. exchange rate: 1 KES = RWF 11.2773 (Updated about an hour ago)
See detailed Kenya to Rwanda money transfer comparison below.
Money Transfer Providers that matched the search criteria
If you are making international business money transfers or payments, RemitFinder can assist by matching you with the best options to suit your unique business needs. Get in touch now to see how we can help protect your business revenue by getting you higher exchange rates and lower transfer fees on international business FX.
💡What today's KES-RWF exchange rates mean for you
Compare today's KES-RWF exchange rates and send money from Kenya to Rwanda after comparing numerous money transfer providers. Check the latest exchange rates, read detailed provider reviews, and discover deals and promo codes — all in one place.
RemitFinder compared 1 provider that you can rely on for Kenya to Rwanda money transfers today. Here is a summary of how the competition looks like right now:
Today's Most Competitive Kenya to Rwanda Providers
🥇 Mukuru with 1 KES = 10.8157 RWF (best KES to RWF exchange rate today).
KES-RWF exchange rates fluctuate throughout the day, and top positions can change quickly. This volatility can significantly impact the final RWF payout that your recipient gets in Rwanda.
That's why we recommend comparing money transfer providers to ensure you can maximize the value of your Kenya to Rwanda remittances.
🔄 Looking for the reverse corridor? Send money from Rwanda to Kenya instead.
Looking for a different option? You can browse all sending countries on our send money from hub, or view all destinations available when sending money from Kenya.
👇 We also suggest looking beyond today's KES-RWF exchange rate — historical pricing trends show many factors that can affect the overall transfer cost of your transfer.
Whilst KES-RWF exchange rate is crucial, historical data shows that transfer fees, KES amount sent and payment and delivery methods can also significantly influence your final payout.
Below, we analyze Kenya to Rwanda historical remittance data to help you understand where costs may arise and share some best practices to try to maximize your RWF payout.
Data-driven cost insights for Kenya to Rwanda money transfers
When you send money internationally from Kenya to Rwanda, the key factors that will influence the overall cost of your transaction are:
- KES-RWF exchange rate
- Transfer fee
- Payment method
- Delivery method
Ideally, you would want to optimize these 4 factors to try to get the maximum RWF payout for your overseas recipient in Rwanda.
Another counter-balancing aspect is money transfer speed. If you need to rush money from Kenya to Rwanda, you may have to compromise on some of the above factors whilst optimizing for speed.
To put this into a better perspective using a data-driven approach, we analyzed historical remittance pricing1 for Kenya to Rwanda money transfers to compare transfer costs, FX margins, fees, and payment and delivery methods across providers.
This analysis is based on 187 actual Kenya to Rwanda money transfers handled by 8 providers over the last 5 years (for a KES 18000 remittance benchmark).
This data-driven approach using real KES-RWF transfer data provides useful insights into identifying the lowest-cost payment and delivery combinations, thereby helping you reduce costs and maximize the amount received.
Before we deep dive, here are the key trends from our analysis, summarized in an easy to read format.
📌 Key insights for Kenya to Rwanda money transfers
- Average total cost: 6.92% (range -1.10% to 35.39%, spread 36.49 percentage points)
- Potential payout difference: On a KES 18000 transfer, the above variation can save you up to KES 6,568.20.
- Average FX markup: 2.94% (range -3.51%
ⓘA negative markup generally represents a promotional exchange rate whereby a provider offers an exchange rate that is even higher than the mid-market rate, often on smaller amounts. to 8.99%, spread 12.50 percentage points) - Average transfer fee: KES 716.67 (range KES 0.00 to KES 6,078.90)
- Cheapest payment/delivery method combo: Credit Card → Mobile Wallet (3.05% avg cost); most expensive is Cash → Cash Pickup (7.64%)
- Payment/delivery method choice impact: Cheapest vs most expensive combo saves 4.59% (KES 826.13 on KES 18000 transfer).
- Market coverage: ~8 providers on average (competition level: moderate)
- Average speed: About 5 hours
🛠️ Key takeaway: Compare providers using both exchange rate and fees, then optimize your payment and delivery methods to reduce total cost.
Below, we provide detailed data-driven insights on various factors that influence the total cost of your Kenya to Rwanda money transfers.
📈 KES to RWF exchange rate is often the biggest driver of both cost and payout
The exchange rate on your Kenya to Rwanda money transfers is usually the single biggest factor that will determine your overall KES cost and your recipient's RWF payout.
To analyze exchange rates, we will rely on the exchange rate markup (also called FX margin) which is the difference between the mid-market exchange rate
Based on historical pricing data for a KES 18000 money transfer benchmark, we see the following FX markup ranges for Kenyan Shilling to Rwanda transfers:
- Average markup: 2.94%
- Median markup: 3.32%
- Lowest markup: -3.51%
ⓘA negative markup generally represents a promotional exchange rate whereby a provider offers an exchange rate that is even higher than the mid-market rate, often on smaller amounts. - Highest markup: 8.99%
That is a spread of 12.50 percentage points between the lowest and highest observed FX markups.
To put this into perspective, on a KES 18000 transfer, the above markup range is equivalent to roughly RWF 2,250.00 purely from differences in the exchange rate. That incremental saving increases to RWF 5,625.00 for a KES 45000 transfer.
🛠️ How to use this insight: When comparing providers for Kenya to Rwanda remittances, pay close attention to the exchange rate you receive. A small difference in the FX markup can quickly outweigh other factors like fees, and the gap generally grows as transfer amounts increase.
KES to RWF exchange rate can be the single most critical factor that determines the cost of your transfer. When comparing providers, keep an eye on the rate you will get.
💰 Transfer fees affect your total Kenya to Rwanda remittance cost
Whilst exchange rate is a major factor affecting total transfer cost, the transfer fee can also have a big impact on how much of your Kenyan Shilling reaches your recipient in Rwanda.
Based on data from last 5 years, we notice the below about Kenyan Shilling to Rwanda money transfer fees:
- Average fee: KES 716.67
- Median fee: KES 420.00
- Lowest fee: KES 0.00
- Highest fee: KES 6,078.90
The average fee amount of KES 716.67 noted above represents 3.98% of the total amount sent.
Also note that even if two providers provide the same exchange rate, a best vs worst case transfer fee can increase the payout by KES 6,078.90.
🛠️ How to use this insight: For your next money transfer from Kenya to Rwandan Franc, look for providers that provide lower (or even 0) fees.
One caveat to this, though, is something called the hidden fee. Some providers may hide their real fees by offering a 0 or low fee, but providing a lower exchange rate. The money lost due to an inferior FX rate affects your bottom line and is referred to as a hidden fee. Therefore, you should also keep an eye on rates whilst paying attention to fees.
Another point that you should keep in mind is that for larger transfers, fixed fees become a lesser percentage of total amount. But for smaller transfers, fees can be a major part of total cost.
💸 Payment and delivery methods matter for KES-RWF remittances
Based on our detailed analysis of historical Kenya to Rwanda data, we see consistent variation in overall cost amongst the payment method and delivery method you choose.
Here is the average cost for popular payment methods used to send money to Rwanda from Kenya:
- Mobile Wallet: 5.52%
- Credit Card: 5.99%
- Debit Card: 5.99%
- Bank Account Transfer: 6.29%
- Cash: 7.57%
That is a total spread of 2.05 percentage points.
This means that on a KES 18000 transfer, you could save up to KES 369.49 simply by choosing the best priced payment method.
These savings will only multiply for higher KES amounts.
Here is the average cost of popular delivery methods used to send money from Kenya to Rwanda:
- Mobile Wallet: 6.11%
- Cash Pickup: 7.05%
The cost difference between the above delivery methods is 0.94 percentage points.
Once again, this means that you could save up to KES 169.92 on a KES 18000 transfer to Rwanda by choosing Mobile Wallet versus Cash Pickup.
As you can imagine, the possible combinations of Kenya payment methods and Rwanda delivery methods will all have disparate cost. Let us look at that next.
Here is a summary of the average cost of payment and delivery method combinations for Kenya to RWF money transfers.
| Payment Method | Delivery Method | Average Cost (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Credit Card | Mobile Wallet | 3.05 |
| Debit Card | Mobile Wallet | 3.05 |
| Mobile Wallet | Cash Pickup | 5.38 |
| Mobile Wallet | Mobile Wallet | 5.69 |
| Bank Account Transfer | Cash Pickup | 6.29 |
| Cash | Mobile Wallet | 6.72 |
| Credit Card | Cash Pickup | 7.46 |
| Debit Card | Cash Pickup | 7.46 |
| Cash | Cash Pickup | 7.64 |
Sorted by Average Cost % (cheapest to most expensive).
As you can see, the difference between these KES-RWF payment and delivery options is significant. Here are some observations:
- Credit Card → Mobile Wallet has the lowest average cost at 3.05%.
- Cash → Cash Pickup has the highest average cost at 7.64%.
- Credit Card → Mobile Wallet average cost is 4.59 percentage points lower than that of Cash → Cash Pickup.
- This means that on a KES 18000 money transfer, you could save up to KES 1,375.13 simply by choosing the best payment and delivery method combo.
- Further, on a KES 45000 money transfer, the savings increase to KES 3,437.82.
Here is a quick summary of the average historical cost of various payment and delivery methods for KES to Rwanda money transfers.
💸 Cheapest payment and delivery methods (data-backed)
- Cheapest payment method: Mobile Wallet averaged 5.52%, compared to 7.57% for Cash, a difference of 2.05 percentage points.
- Cheapest delivery method: Mobile Wallet averaged 6.11%, compared to 7.05% for Cash Pickup (0.94 percentage points higher).
- Cheapest combo: Credit Card → Mobile Wallet averaged 3.05%, which is 4.59 percentage points lower than Cash → Cash Pickup (7.64%).
🛠️ How to use this insight: As you compare money transfer providers for your next Kenya to Rwanda international money transfer, strive to pair the lowest-cost payment method with the lowest-cost delivery method.
This can help you avoid the pitfall of "great exchange rate, expensive methods".
You can save money on your Kenya to Rwanda remittances by carefully choosing the most economical payment and delivery methods.
🏦 Are banks more expensive than money transfer providers for KES-RWF remittances?
When we compared Kenya banks with money transfer providers based on 5 years of remittance data, we noticed some patterns.
We observed that traditional banks charged 10.65 percentage points more on average than money transfer providers for Kenya to Rwanda remittances.
This means banks tend to be approximately 2.92x more expensive than money transfer companies.
Here are the key stats behind this comparison:
| Banks | MTOs^ | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average transfer fee | KES 2,419.70 | KES 465.92 | KES 1,953.78 |
| Exchange rate markup | 2.76% | 2.97% | -0.21 pp* |
| Average total cost (%) | 16.21% | 5.56% | 10.65 pp* |
^MTO: Money transfer operator, a commonly used term for a money transfer provider
*Percentage points
🛠️ How to use this insight: Whilst banks in Kenya may offer convenience and familiarity, money transfer providers often deliver lower overall cost due to their better exchange rates and lower fees. Even if you want to send money overseas with your bank in Kenya, we recommend comparing with money transfer companies to find your best options.
📊 Does sending more money reduce the cost of KES-RWF money transfers?
To see if transfer cost varies based on the amount sent, we compared the average cost of sending KES 18000 vs KES 45000 from Kenya to Rwanda.
We found that sending a higher amount (KES 45000) tends to be cheaper - average cost drops from 6.92% to 5.49%, a reduction of 1.43 percentage points.
The cost of your transfer usually continues to drop as transfer amount increases. That said, always check the latest exchange rates and fees for your intended transfer amount.
🛠️ How to use this insight: Since it is generally cheaper to send higher Kenyan Shilling amounts to Rwanda, consider consolidating smaller, more frequent transfers into fewer, larger ones. Doing so may reduce the total cost you pay.
🏛 How competitive is the Kenya to Rwanda remittance market?
Based on data from the last 5 years, KES-RWF money transfers are provided on an average by 8 remittance companies. With around 8 providers serving this market, we consider the level of competition to be moderate.
Traditional banks have represented only 25% of active providers in this corridor (2 out of 8), meaning money transfer companies make up the majority.
A remittance market with more active providers is typically more competitive. This means you can get a better pricing and more payment and delivery options for your Kenya to Rwanda remittances.
⏱️ How fast are KES-RWF money transfers?
If your recipient in Rwanda needs funds urgently, you may need to optimize your transfer for speed.
Here is what we see for Kenya to Rwanda transfers when it comes to processing time:
- Average transfer time: About 5 hours.
- Fastest transfer time: About less than 1 hour.
- Slowest transfer time: About 48 hours (~2.0 days).
- Average speed at KES 18000: About 5 hours.
- Average speed at KES 45000: About 5 hours.
Banks vs money transfer providers speed comparison: Banks take 24 hours longer on average than money transfer providers.
🛠️ How to use this insight: If you need to send money from Kenya to Rwanda in a hurry, compare providers not just on exchange rate, but also on expected speed. Speed also varies based on the delivery method (bank vs cash vs wallet) you choose for Rwanda.
Kenya to Rwanda transfer speed varies across providers, so compare transfer speed along with cost for time-sensitive money transfers. In addition, pick the fastest payment and delivery methods for faster processing.
Frequently Asked Questions about Kenya to Rwanda money transfers
These FAQs use data from RemitFinder's historical analysis of Kenya to Rwanda money transfers over several years.
What factors affect the total cost of sending money from Kenya to Rwanda?
The total cost of your KES-RWF money transfer depends on how you fund the transaction (payment method), how the recipient receives it (delivery method), the exchange rate you get, and any transfer fee charged by the provider.
To avoid overpaying for your transfer, compare money transfer providers.
How much does the exchange rate affect Kenya to Rwanda transfers?
Historical KES to RWF exchange rate markup ranges from -3.51% to 8.99%, a spread of 12.50 percentage points. Even small differences in the exchange rate markup can impact your final payout significantly.
Can KES-RWF exchange rate markup be negative?
Sometimes, money transfer providers may offer promotional exchange rates that are better than the mid-market exchange rate, resulting in a negative KES-RWF exchange rate markup.
Such offers are generally limited by transfer amount, eligibility, or duration. Compare providers to see if you can take advantage of any ongoing special offers.
Is the exchange rate or the transfer fee more important for Kenya to Rwanda transfers?
Exchange rate markup ranges from -3.51% to 8.99% (a spread of 12.50 percentage points).
Transfer fees range from KES 0.00 to KES 6078.90, which equals roughly 33.77% on a KES 18000.00 transfer.
At both KES 18000.00 and KES 45000.00, the transfer fee shows larger variation than the other component.
Regardless, our recommendation is that it is important to compare both exchange rates and fees when choosing a provider for Kenya to Rwanda transfers.
As the transfer amount increases, the % impact of fees decreases (because the fee gets spread across a larger KES amount), whilst exchange rate markup remains a percentage-based cost that can scale with transfer size.
For smaller transfers, fees can matter more, whilst for larger transfers, exchange rate often becomes the bigger driver. Either way, comparing both helps you get the most RWF for your KES.
How much can Kenya to Rwanda transfer costs vary between providers?
Historical transfer cost ranges from -1.10% to 35.39% for KES transfers to Rwanda. That is a spread of 36.49 percentage points, meaning significant differences between various money transfer providers.
A major contributor to this variation is exchange rate markup. FX markup alone ranges from -3.51% to 8.99% (a spread of 12.50 percentage points). Thus, even small differences in FX margin can have a big impact on the final RWF payout.
Why do various money transfer providers price KES to Rwanda transfers differently?
If you send the same Kenyan Shilling amount to Rwanda via different providers, the cost of each transfer will be different because of variations in FX markup, fees, and payment and delivery methods.
Even small differences among all the above factors can change the final RWF payout in Rwanda in a big way.
How stable are transfer costs in the Kenya to Rwanda corridor?
When we analyzed the historical total cost for KES-RWF transfers, we observed a range from -1.10% to 35.39% (36.49 percentage points difference), along with a variability (standard deviation) of 5.58%.
A major driver of cost in this market is exchange rate markup. FX markup ranges from -3.51% to 8.99% (12.50 percentage points difference), with a standard deviation of 2.08%. Fees and payment/delivery method choices can contribute to further volatility.
This is exactly why we recommend comparing money transfer providers to get the most of your KES-RWF transfers.
Which payment method is cheapest for Kenya to Rwanda remittances?
Mobile Wallet is the cheapest payment method in Kenya based on its average cost at 5.52% (compared to Cash at 7.57%, a difference of 2.05 percentage points).
Based on this, we recommend paying for your KES transfer with Mobile Wallet, and avoiding Cash if possible.
Is Debit Card cheaper than Credit Card for Kenya to Rwanda transfers?
Credit Card is cheaper on average when sending money to Rwanda from Kenya since it costs 5.99% (compared to 5.99% for Credit Card payments, a difference of 0.00 percentage points).
As a result, we recommend that you avoid paying for your transfer to Rwanda with a Credit Card.
Which delivery method is cheapest for KES-RWF money transfers?
Mobile Wallet is the cheapest delivery method in Rwanda as it costs 6.11% (compared to Cash Pickup at 7.05%, a spread of 0.94 percentage points).
If your recipient in Rwanda can accept Mobile Wallet, we recommend choosing it as your preferred delivery option for KES-RWF transfers.
What is the cheapest way to send money from Kenya to Rwanda?
We evaluated 9 payment and delivery method combinations for Kenya to Rwanda remittances.
Based on historical data, Credit Card → Mobile Wallet is the cheapest combination with 3.05% cost.
At the other end of the spectrum, Cash → Cash Pickup is the most expensive combination at 7.64% cost. That is a difference of 4.59 percentage points between the cheapest and most expensive combinations.
Money transfer providers tend to price payment and delivery methods for Kenya to Rwanda remittances differently. As you compare options, look for the cheapest payment-delivery method combo to maximize the value of your KES-RWF transfers.
Does sending more money reduce the cost for Kenya to Rwanda transfers?
Larger KES-RWF transfers are cheaper on average.
The cost of a KES 18000 transfer averages 6.92% as compared to 5.49% for a KES 45000 transfer, a difference of 1.43 percentage points.
How long does it take to send money from Kenya to Rwanda?
Based on our analysis, the average transfer time for KES-RWF transfers is 5 hours, with the fastest transfers completing in less than one hour and the slowest in 48 hours (~2.0 days).
Are instant transfers available from Kenya to Rwanda?
Yes, historical data shows that some transfers to Rwanda from Kenya can complete in less than one hour.
Note that the actual speed of your KES-RWF transfer will depend on the chosen provider, payment method, delivery method, and eligibility checks.
Are banks more expensive than money transfer companies for Kenya to Rwanda?
Banks in Kenya are more expensive than money transfer providers.
The average cost of banks is 16.20% compared to 5.56% for money transfer providers in Kenya, a difference of 10.65 percentage points.
Why do banks charge more for Kenya to Rwanda transfers?
Bank transfers in Kenya cost 16.20% compared to 5.56% for money transfer companies.
The difference is often due to the fact that banks in Kenya provider lower exchange rates and charge high wire transfer fees.
How competitive is the Kenya to Rwanda remittance market?
Based on historical data, the competition level in Kenya to Rwanda is considered moderate with 8 active providers.
Money transfer providers represent about 75% of identified providers in Kenya.
Do I risk overpaying if I do not compare providers for Kenya to Rwanda?
Historically, total KES-RWF transfer cost has varied by 36.49 percentage points. On a KES 18000 transfer, that can translate to KES 6568.20 in savings.
KES-RWF exchange rate markup also varies across providers. The average markup spread has been about 12.50 percentage points. On a KES 18000 transfer, that could be KES 2250.00 saved from FX alone.
Fees can also make a big difference in this market, with a difference of about KES 6078.90 across providers.
That is why comparing providers can materially change how much of the KES you send does your recipient receive in Rwanda in Rwanda.
Latest KES to RWF Conversion Rates
Here are some latest KES to RWF (Kenyan Shilling to Rwandan Franc) exchange rates for popular conversion amounts*.
| 1 KES | 11.28 RWF |
| 5 KES | 56.39 RWF |
| 10 KES | 112.77 RWF |
| 25 KES | 281.93 RWF |
| 50 KES | 563.87 RWF |
| 100 KES | 1,127.73 RWF |
| 150 KES | 1,691.60 RWF |
| 200 KES | 2,255.46 RWF |
| 250 KES | 2,819.33 RWF |
| 300 KES | 3,383.19 RWF |
| 400 KES | 4,510.92 RWF |
| 500 KES | 5,638.65 RWF |
| 600 KES | 6,766.38 RWF |
| 700 KES | 7,894.11 RWF |
| 800 KES | 9,021.84 RWF |
| 1000 KES | 11,277.30 RWF |
| 1500 KES | 16,915.95 RWF |
| 2000 KES | 22,554.60 RWF |
| 2500 KES | 28,193.25 RWF |
| 3000 KES | 33,831.90 RWF |
| 4000 KES | 45,109.20 RWF |
| 5000 KES | 56,386.50 RWF |
| 10000 KES | 112,773.00 RWF |
| 15000 KES | 169,159.50 RWF |
| 20000 KES | 225,546.00 RWF |
| 30000 KES | 338,319.00 RWF |
| 40000 KES | 451,092.00 RWF |
| 50000 KES | 563,865.00 RWF |
| 100000 KES | 1,127,730.00 RWF |
*Based on the Mid-market Exchange Rate
1 Based on 187 pricing observations across 8 firms over the last 5 years for a KES 18000 money transfer from Kenya to Rwanda. Data Source: The World Bank, Remittance Prices Worldwide, available at http://remittanceprices.worldbank.org.
How we analyze remittance data?
Insights are derived from the World Bank's Remittance Prices Worldwide dataset, which collects standardized provider pricing information at defined transfer amounts.
We aggregate this data across multiple providers and multi-year periods to calculate averages, medians, and variability measures in order to identify consistent pricing patterns for the Kenya to Rwanda remittance corridor.
RemitFinder does not modify the underlying World Bank data. The analysis presented here is independently calculated from published datasets and is intended for informational and comparison purposes only.