The Kenyan shilling closed the week on Friday firmer against the U.S. dollar and strengthened significantly against the sterling pound.

The local currency traded at an average of 101.05 to the dollar, the same level it ended at the close of Thursday.

The Central Bank placed the shilling at 101.05 against the greenback, with the currency remaining unchanged.

Commercial banks quoted the shilling to the greenback at between 101.00 and 101.25, from an average of 101.00.

Currency traders attributed firmness of the shilling to rise in inflows from the diaspora which helped offset dollar demand by oil importers and manufacturers.

Against the sterling pound, the shilling rose significantly to stand at 132.09 from 133.99 in the previous session, one of the biggest margins in recent trading.

Analysts at Cytonn, a Nairobi-based investment firm, expect the shilling to remain under pressure in the short-term.