NAIROBI: Kenya's shilling was steady on Wednesday, and traders said it would stay in a tight band during a shortened session, with any liquidity mop-up expected to offer some support.
At 0750 GMT, commercial banks quoted the shilling at 90.55/65 to the dollar, the same as Tuesday's close.
The market will close at 0900 GMT instead of 1300 GMT.
Traders said the shilling could get a boost if the central bank enters the market to mop up excess liquidity, as it did on Tuesday when it absorbed 5.8 billion shillings after seeking to mop up 10 billion.
Traders said the central bank also sold an undisclosed but small amount of dollars on Tuesday.
They forecast the shilling, which has lost 4.5 percent against the dollar this year, would trade in the 90.50 to 90.80 range in coming days.
The shilling lost ground before Christmas, due in part to dollar demand from importers and a flagging tourism sector - a key source of hard currency inflows for east Africa's biggest economy - after a series of Islamist attacks in the country.
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