NAIROBI, Sept 30 (Reuters) – Kenya’s shilling KES= was stable on Monday, with dollar inflows from tea exports matching month-end importer demand, traders said.

At 0647 GMT, commercial banks quoted the shilling at 128.50/129.50 to the dollar, the same as Friday’s closing rate.

Traders said central bank dollar-buying had prevented the shilling from gaining ground in recent weeks.

“If they (central bank) had stayed out, the shilling would have strengthened,” one trader said.

The central bank says it has no preferred level for the shilling and only steps in to smooth out volatility in either direction.

(Reporting by Sonia Rao; Editing by George Obulutsa and Alexander Winning)