How to Get Real-Time Kenyan Shilling (KES) Prices with Metals-API

In today's fast-paced financial landscape, accessing real-time market data is crucial for developers and businesses alike. The Kenyan Shilling (KES) is an important currency in East Africa, and understanding its value against precious metals can provide valuable insights for traders and investors. This blog post will guide you through accessing real-time KES prices using the Metals-API. We will explore the API's capabilities, provide step-by-step instructions, and offer practical examples to help you integrate this powerful tool into your applications.

About Kenyan Shilling (KES)

The Kenyan Shilling is the official currency of Kenya, and its value can be influenced by various factors, including economic conditions, political stability, and market demand for metals. As the world increasingly embraces digital transformation, the integration of technology in metal markets has become vital. The Metals-API provides developers with the tools necessary to harness data analytics and insights, enabling them to build innovative applications that leverage real-time metal prices.

Technological advancements in data retrieval and processing have made it easier than ever to access and analyze market data. With the Metals-API, developers can integrate smart technology solutions that provide real-time updates on metal prices, including those denominated in KES. This API empowers users to make informed decisions based on accurate and timely information.

API Description

The Metals-API is a comprehensive solution for accessing real-time and historical metal prices, including currency conversion capabilities. It offers a range of endpoints that allow developers to retrieve various types of data, from the latest rates to historical trends. The API is designed to be user-friendly, making it easy for developers to integrate into their applications.

For detailed information on how to use the API, refer to the Metals-API Documentation. This resource provides comprehensive guidance on authentication, endpoint usage, and response handling.

Key Features and Endpoints

The Metals-API offers a variety of endpoints, each designed to serve specific needs. Here are some of the key features:

Latest Rates Endpoint: This endpoint provides real-time exchange rate data for metals, updated every 60 minutes, every 10 minutes, or even more frequently, depending on your subscription plan. For example, you can retrieve the latest rates for KES against metals like Gold (XAU) and Silver (XAG).
Historical Rates Endpoint: Access historical rates dating back to 2019 by appending a specific date to your API call. This feature is useful for analyzing trends over time and understanding how the KES has performed against various metals.
Bid and Ask Endpoint: This powerful feature allows you to retrieve real-time bid and ask prices for metals, providing insights into market liquidity and pricing dynamics.
Convert Endpoint: The conversion endpoint allows you to convert any amount from one currency to another, making it easy to calculate the value of metals in KES.
Time-Series Endpoint: Query the API for daily historical rates between two dates of your choice, enabling you to analyze price movements over specific periods.
Fluctuation Endpoint: Track how currencies fluctuate on a day-to-day basis, providing insights into market volatility and trends.
Carat Endpoint: Retrieve information about Gold rates by Carat, which is particularly useful for jewelers and traders.
Lowest/Highest Price Endpoint: Get the lowest and highest price for a specific date, allowing you to assess market extremes.
Open/High/Low/Close (OHLC) Price Endpoint: This endpoint provides open, high, low, and close prices for a specific time period, essential for technical analysis.
Historical LME Endpoint: Access historical rates for LME symbols dating back to 2008, useful for long-term analysis.
API Key: Your unique API key is required for authentication and must be included in your API requests.
API Response: The API returns exchange rates relative to USD by default, ensuring consistency in data representation.
Supported Symbols Endpoint: Retrieve a constantly updated list of all available currencies and metals.
News Endpoint: Get the latest news articles related to various metals, keeping you informed about market developments.

Accessing Real-Time KES Prices

To access real-time KES prices using the Metals-API, follow these steps:

Sign Up for an API Key: Visit the Metals-API Website and sign up for an account. Once registered, you will receive an API key that you will use to authenticate your requests.
Choose Your Endpoint: Depending on your needs, select the appropriate endpoint. For real-time prices, the Latest Rates Endpoint is ideal.
Make Your API Call: Construct your API call using the base URL, your API key, and the desired parameters. For example, to get the latest rates for KES, your request might look like this:

GET https://metals-api.com/api/latest?access_key=YOUR_API_KEY&base=KES

This request will return the latest metal prices in KES, allowing you to access real-time data for your applications.

Example API Responses

Understanding the structure of API responses is crucial for effective integration. Here are some example responses for different endpoints:

Latest Rates Endpoint

{
"success": true,
"timestamp": 1769819034,
"base": "KES",
"date": "2026-01-31",
"rates": {
"XAU": 0.000482,
"XAG": 0.03815,
"XPT": 0.000912,
"XPD": 0.000744
},
"unit": "per troy ounce"
}

This response shows the latest rates for various metals against the Kenyan Shilling, providing a snapshot of the current market.

Historical Rates Endpoint

{
"success": true,
"timestamp": 1769732634,
"base": "KES",
"date": "2026-01-30",
"rates": {
"XAU": 0.000485,
"XAG": 0.03825,
"XPT": 0.000915,
"XPD": 0.000748
},
"unit": "per troy ounce"
}

This example illustrates how to access historical rates, allowing you to analyze trends over time.

Time-Series Endpoint

{
"success": true,
"timeseries": true,
"start_date": "2026-01-24",
"end_date": "2026-01-31",
"base": "KES",
"rates": {
"2026-01-24": {
"XAU": 0.000485,
"XAG": 0.03825,
"XPT": 0.000915
},
"2026-01-26": {
"XAU": 0.000483,
"XAG": 0.0382,
"XPT": 0.000913
},
"2026-01-31": {
"XAU": 0.000482,
"XAG": 0.03815,
"XPT": 0.000912
}
},
"unit": "per troy ounce"
}

This response provides daily historical rates for a specified period, enabling detailed analysis of price movements.

Convert Endpoint

{
"success": true,
"query": {
"from": "KES",
"to": "XAU",
"amount": 1000
},
"info": {
"timestamp": 1769819034,
"rate": 0.000482
},
"result": 0.482,
"unit": "troy ounces"
}

The Convert Endpoint allows you to easily convert amounts from KES to Gold (XAU), providing flexibility in financial calculations.

Common Use Cases

The Metals-API can be utilized in various applications, including:

Trading Platforms: Integrate real-time metal prices into trading platforms to provide users with up-to-date information for making informed trading decisions.
Financial Analysis Tools: Use historical data to develop analytical tools that help users understand market trends and make predictions.
Investment Applications: Build applications that allow users to track their investments in metals and convert values between currencies seamlessly.

Conclusion

Accessing real-time Kenyan Shilling prices using the Metals-API is a straightforward process that can significantly enhance your applications. By leveraging the API's powerful features, developers can create innovative solutions that provide valuable insights into the metal markets. Whether you are building a trading platform, financial analysis tool, or investment application, the Metals-API offers the necessary capabilities to succeed.

For more information, explore the Metals-API Documentation and discover the full range of features available. Additionally, refer to the Metals-API Supported Symbols page for a comprehensive list of available currencies and metals.

By embracing the power of real-time data and technological innovation, you can stay ahead in the ever-evolving financial landscape. Start integrating the Metals-API today and unlock the potential of real-time metal pricing in your applications.

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How to Get Real-Time Kenyan Shilling (KES) Prices with Metals-API