Skip to main content

Best Forex brokers in Kenya (2024)

Author
Author Avatar
Toni Vitali
Contributor
Fact checked by
Author Avatar
Franklin Silva
Co-Founder & Fintech Analyst
Fact checked by: Franklin SilvaUpdated on Nov 27, 2024

Foreign Exchange (Forex) markets are the most traded market globally, recently reaching over $5 trillion in daily trading volume. However, forex investing is not without its challenges for the average trader. One of the major ones is selecting a forex trading brokerage platform most suitable for your needs. Some of the factors that come into play here are:

  • Offering of currency pairs
  • Forex trading spreads
  • Trading and other fees
  • Maximum leverage available
  • Safety and regulation of the platform
  • Trading platform’s features and tools

In this article, we will help you choose the best forex trading broker in Kenya for you.

Best Forex Brokers in Kenya

  1. Interactive Brokers: Best forex broker overall
  2. Fusion Markets: Best for lowest spreads
  3. Pepperstone: Best for high leverage
  4. Saxo: Best for the broadest selection of currency pairs

Award Winner

Interactive Brokers logo
#1 Best forex broker overall
Broad range of currency pairs
Tight forex spreads
No minimum deposit
See broker summary
Visit BrokerRead review
Broker summary
Currency pairs100+
Maximum leverage1:50
Minimum deposit$0
Forex fees0.20 bps * trading value (USD 1 min.)
Starting spreads0.1 pips
Visit BrokerRead review

Award Winner

Best Forex brokers in Kenya (2024) 1
#2 Best for lowest spreads
Tight forex spreads
Broad selection of trading tools
High maximum leverage (up to 1:500)
See broker summary
Visit BrokerRead review
Broker summary
Currency pairs90+
Maximum leverage1:500 (Fusion Pro account); 1:30 for retail clients
Minimum deposit$0
Forex fees$2.25 per side commission (ZERO account)
Starting spreads0.0 pips (ZERO account)
Visit BrokerRead review

74-89% of retail CFD accounts lose money.

Award Winner

Pepperstone logo
#3 Best for high leverage
Broad range of account types and trading platforms
High maximum leverage (up to 1:500)
Tight spreads in the Razor account
See broker summary
Visit BrokerRead review
Broker summary
Currency pairs90+
Maximum leverage1:500 (pro account); 1:200 (retail account)
Minimum deposit$0
Forex feesDepend on the account type and platform used (more below)
Starting spreads1.0 pips (for currency pairs in their Standard account)
Visit BrokerRead review

74-89% of retail CFD accounts lose money.

Award Winner

Saxo Bank logo
#4 Best for the broadest selection of currency pairs
Broadest selection of currency pairs
Access to advanced trading tools
No forex trading fees and competitive spreads
See broker summary
Visit BrokerRead review
Broker summary
Currency pairs185+
Maximum leverage1:30
Minimum deposit$2,000
Forex feesIncluded in the spread
Starting spreadsFrom 0.6 pips (VIP account)
Visit BrokerRead review

62% of retail CFD accounts lose money.

Best Forex Brokers in Kenya Compared

Broker Interactive Brokers Fusion Markets Pepperstone Saxo
Number of currency pairs 100+ 90+ 90+ 185+
Maximum leverage (for forex) 1:50 1:500 (Fusion Pro account) 1:500 (professional clients); 1:200 (retail clients) 1:30
Minimum deposit $0 $0 $0 $0
Minimum spread (pips) 0.1 (0.08-0.2*trading value commission) 0.0 ($2.25 per side commission) 0.0 (Razor account); 1.0 (Standard account) From 0.6 (VIP account)
Deposit method Bank transfer Bank transfer, credit/debit cards, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller Bank transfer, credit/debit cards, PayPal, Neteller, Skrill, Union Pay Bank transfer, debit/credit cards
Withdrawal fee $0 (1 free per month) $0 $0 $0

Spread comparison for the best Forex Brokers in Kenya

Broker Interactive Brokers Fusion Markets** Pepperstone*** Saxo Bank****
EUR/USD 0.2 0.03 1.0 0.9
GBP/USD 0.4 0.12 1.0 1
AUD/USD 0.3 0.04 1.0 0.7
USD/JPY 0.3 0.05 1.0 1.1
USD/CAD 0.4 0.08 1.1 1.2
USD/CHF 0.3 0.03 1.0 0.9
Gold* (XAU/USD) 900 0.1 0.5 13
Silver* (XAG/USD) 70 0.01 1 33

Spreads are in pips (equal to 0.0001)
*The commission for trading gold and silver on IB is 1.5 bps*trading value (drops with higher volumes)
**Historical average spreads. A $2.25 commission per side is charged.
***Standard min. spread (Razor accounts have lower spreads, but with a fee)
****Spreads apply to Saxo Bank’s Classic account type

#1 Interactive Brokers

Interactive Brokers logo
Visit brokerRead review

Interactive Brokers at a glance

Currency pairs100+
Maximum leverage1:50
Minimum deposit$0
Forex fees0.20 bps * trading value (USD 1 min.); spreads start at 0.1
RegulatorsFINRA, SIPC, FDIC, SEC, CFTC, IIROC, FCA, CBI, AFSL, SFC, SEBI, MAS, MNB
Visit Interactive BrokersRead review

Having been around since 1978, the Interactive Brokers’ major advantage is its reputation. It is also publicly listed on the NASDAQ exchange (ticker: IBKR), making it more regulated than some other platforms.

Regarding forex trading, Interactive Brokers is offering:

  • 100+ currency pairs available
  • Narrow spreads (starting at 0.1 pips)
  • Low fees: 0.20 bps*trading value (lower for higher trading volumes)
  • Real-time quotes from 17 of the world’s largest FX dealers
  • Professional FX trading tools

Most notably, you will have access to the customisable FX Trader platform with many advanced features, such as 20 order types, extensive market data, a currency comparison tool, etc.

With Interactive Brokers, you also get significant interest on your uninvested cash, but only over $10,000 (or equivalent). The interest is in proportion to the Net Asset Value (NAV) of your account and it reaches the maximum at over $100,000 NAV. 

Some downsides of using Interactive Brokers are the lack of commission-free forex trading, complex platform interface, and limited deposit options (bank transfer only).

Source: Interactive Brokers’ FX Trader platform

Overall, Interactive Brokers is a good choice for both beginner and advanced forex traders looking for a secure broker with many currency pairs with low spreads and reasonable trading fees.

You can read more about them in our comprehensive Interactive Brokers review.

#2 Fusion Markets

Fusion Markets at a glance

Currency pairs90+
Maximum leverage1:500 (Fusion Pro account); 1:30 for retail clients
Minimum deposit$0
Forex fees$2.25 per side commission (pips start at 0.0) in their ZERO account
RegulatorsASIC, FSA, VFSC

Although a newbie in the industry (launched in 2017 and started accepting clients in 2019), Fusion Markets is a modern broker focused on delivering the lowest possible fees and good customer experience. They are based in Australia but also have branch offices in Seychelles and Vanuatu, making them regulated by financial institutions in three different countries.

Other than forex, this Australian broker also offers indices, commodities, cryptocurrencies, and US shares CFDs. The biggest difference between Fusion Markets and other brokers on this list is the offering of rock-bottom forex trading spreads (starting at 0.0 pips in their ZERO account). 

They also offer a very high maximum leverage of 1:500, but only to Fusion Pro account holders. Retail investors can use maximum leverage of up to 1:30 when forex trading.

However, a $2.25 per side commission could be a big factor if trading with lower volumes. You can alternatively choose their Classic account with no fees but with spreads starting at 0.9 pips.

The fee structure is fairly simple, with no hidden fees such as inactivity or deposit/withdrawal fees.

They offer both live and demo accounts, with the latter trading with virtual funds. You can choose between different trading platforms inside the account, including Meta Trader 4, Meta Trader 5, and cTrader, with some of them offering mobile versions as well. There are even other platforms available, such as DupliTrade (copying other traders), Myfxbook Auto Trade (forex social trading platform), and Multi Account Manager (for professional traders managing money for their clients).

Source: Fusion Markets investment platform

A very wide choice of platforms, 24-7 customer support, and some of the lowest spreads and commissions on the market make Fusion Markets liked by its users, as witnessed in their high 4.6 Trustpilot score.

Overall, Fusion Markets offers some of the lowest spreads and commissions in the forex trading industry, with many different trading platforms to choose from. Still, it can be pricey for lower trading volumes.

#3 Pepperstone

Pepperstone logo
Visit brokerRead review

Pepperstone at a glance

Currency pairs90+
Maximum leverage1:500
Minimum deposit$0
Forex feesDepend on the account type and platform used (more below)
RegulatorsASIC, BaFin, CMA, CySEC, DFSA, FCA, and SCB
Visit PepperstoneRead review

74-89% of retail CFD accounts lose money.

Founded in Australia in 2010, Pepperstone is a reputable broker regulated by various top-tier financial institutions in different markets. Primarily a CFD broker, they offer CFD forex, commodities, indices, cryptocurrencies, currency indices, shares, and ETFs trading. 

In a relatively short time, they amassed over 400,000 customers and became one of the largest global forex brokers by offering low forex trading fees, along with very good customer support (available 24 hours a day on workdays and 18 hours on weekends).

Some of the other pros of the platform include:

  • A wide range of trading platforms, including MT4, MT5, cTrader, and TradingView
  • Very high maximum leverage of up to 1:500 for professional and 1:200 for retail accounts
  • Multiple deposit options, with no minimum deposit ($200 is recommended)

Their customers seem to be fairly happy with the platform, awarding them a high average rating of 4.5 on Trustpilot

However, the spreads and commissions on forex trading may vary wildly, depending on your account type and platform. For example, the Standard account doesn’t charge any commission but has substantially higher spreads than the Razor account, which in turn charges a minimum of USD 3 (per lot, per side) commission.

Using different trading platforms will also incur different commissions. You can see more detailed info about Pepperstone’s commissions, swaps, and spreads here.

Source: Pepperstone trading chart

If you are trading larger volumes, you can get discounts on your commissions through their Active Trader Program or by becoming a Premium client.

Some of Pepperstone’s downsides include subpar educational materials and relatively high forex spreads in their Standard account.

Overall, Pepperstone offers many different platforms and account types for different types of users, with high maximum leverage being a major feature.

CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 74-89 % of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

#4 Saxo

Saxo Bank logo
Visit brokerRead review

Saxo Bank at a glance

Currency pairs185+
Maximum leverage1:30
Minimum deposit$2,000
Forex feesFrom 0.6 pips
RegulatorsFCA, FSA, FINMA, ACPR, ASIC, MAS
Visit Saxo BankRead review

62% of retail CFD accounts lose money.

Founded in 1992 in Denmark, Saxo Bank is one of the most reputable global brokers. They are known for their very wide choice of financial products (over 71,000), access to a large number of market exchanges (over 120), and a large number of base currencies (18).

When speaking of forex trading, Saxo Bank has the broadest selection of currency pairs from all brokers on this list (185+), no trading fees, maximum leverage of 1:30, and reasonable spreads (starting at 0.6 pips).

Saxo Bank has, in general, been trying to appeal to professional investors. It has done so by offering advanced tools, such as its integration with the Trading View charting platform. The apps SaxoTraderGO and SaxoTraderPRO have also been tailored to the professional user, both by the number of their features and their relative complexity.

Source: SaxoTraderGo Dashboard

Three distinct account levels are available, based on your initial funding or trading volume points: Classic ($0 minimum or 0 points), Platinum ($200,000 min. or 120 000 points), and VIP ($1,000,000 minimum or 500,000 points), each with its own fee structure. You can see how many points you get for each product and trading volume here.

Their fee structure for products other than forex is fairly complex, and there are also some additional fees to be aware of. You can see the full fee structure in more detail on their website

Although generally considered a high-fee broker, that is not the case when speaking exclusively of forex trading. With no trading fees, reasonable spreads, and a very wide selection of currency pairs, Saxo Bank is a good choice for forex trading for beginner and advanced investors alike. 

To find out more about Saxo Bank, please read our in-depth review.

Bottom line

There are many factors one should take into consideration when choosing a forex broker in Kenya. We have tried to compile all the most important information in this article to help you make your own decision.

To summarise, this is our choice for the best forex brokers in Kenya:

  1. Interactive Brokers
    Best forex broker overall
  2. Fusion Markets
    Best for lowest spreads and access to different forex trading platforms
  3. Pepperstone
    Best for high leverage forex trading
  4. Saxo
    Best for the broadest selection of currency pairs
Share this article
On this page
Share this article
About the author
Author Avatar
Toni Vitali
Contributor

Toni is passionate about all-things investment and is the owner of one of the leading personal finance and investment blogs in Croatia.

Don't miss these