Everything below is written for someone investing their own money on the Nairobi Securities Exchange, in the order most people need it. No jargon that is not explained, no tips, and no guide that tells you what to buy.
Start at the top if you are new. If you already hold shares, the sections further down are the ones that tend to save money.
Start here
Opening the accounts and placing a first order.
- How to Buy Shares on the NSE in Kenya: A Step-by-Step Guide (2026)Everything you need to buy your first shares on the Nairobi Securities Exchange — the accounts you need, how an order works, what it…
- How to Open a CDS Account in Kenya (2026 Guide)You can't own NSE shares without a CDS account. Here's what it is, the documents you need, and how to open one online in…
- How to Choose a Stockbroker in Kenya (2026 Guide)Every licensed broker gives you the same shares at the same prices. What differs is the commission, the app, the research and how quickly…
- How Much Money Do You Need to Start Investing on the NSE? (2026)The legal minimum is one share. The sensible minimum is whatever makes the fees small enough to ignore. Here is the arithmetic, with worked…
- How to Sell Shares on the NSE in Kenya — and When the Money Reaches YouBuying is the easy half. Here is how a sale works on the Nairobi Securities Exchange — placing the order, how it gets matched,…
Costs, tax and paperwork
What a trade actually costs you, and what the taxman takes.
- NSE Trading Costs Explained: What You Really Pay to Buy and Sell Shares in KenyaBrokerage, levies, stamp duty and minimum fees: what an NSE trade really costs, with worked examples, and why a share has to rise about…
- Dividends in Kenya: Book Closure, Withholding Tax and When You Get PaidWhen to buy to qualify for a dividend, what "book closure" means, how much tax is taken, and how to make sure the money…
- How to Check Your CDS Account Balance and Statements in KenyaYour shares live in a CDS account at CDSC, not with your broker. Here is how to see what you hold, how statements work,…
- Unclaimed Dividends in Kenya: How to Find Them and Claim Them BackDividends that nobody collects for three years are handed to the state. Here is how to find out whether any of that money is…
How the market works
The mechanics behind the prices you see.
- NSE Trading Hours and How Share Prices Are Set in KenyaThe NSE trades on weekdays between about 9am and 3pm. What happens inside those hours — and what happens to an order placed outside…
- NASI, NSE 20, NSE 25 and NSE 10: What the NSE Indices Actually Tell You"The NSE was up today" — up on which index? The four headline numbers measure different things, and one of them can rise while…
- Rights Issues, Bonus Shares and Share Splits in Kenya ExplainedA letter arrives saying the company is offering you more shares. Here is what a rights issue, a bonus issue and a share split…
Weighing your options
Shares against the other places your money could sit.
- Treasury Bills vs NSE Shares: Which Should You Choose in Kenya?T-bills pay a known return backed by the government; shares can pay more but can also lose money. Here's how to compare them —…
- Money Market Funds vs Shares in Kenya: Which One Fits the Goal?A money market fund is where money waits. Shares are where money works and sometimes loses. Here is the honest comparison, including the tax…
- Ziidi Trader vs a Stockbroker CDS Account: What’s the Difference?You can now buy NSE shares straight from the M-Pesa app. Here's how Ziidi Trader works, what an omnibus account means for your shares,…
How these guides are kept current
Fees, tax rates and market rules change. Each guide carries the date it was last checked, and the year in the title updates itself so you can see at a glance which year’s rules you are reading about. Where a figure comes from an official source — CDSC, the Capital Markets Authority, UFAA, the Central Bank — the guide links to it so you can confirm it for yourself.
If something here is out of date or wrong, tell us at info@ipahco.co.ke and we will fix it.
See this on the NSE, not in theory
Ipahco screens every company listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange, tracks dividends and shows you which licensed brokers will open an account for you.
Everything on this site is education, not investment advice. Ipahco does not hold your money, place your orders or tell you which shares to buy.