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Kenyans living and working abroad sent home Sh160 billion in remittances during the first three months of 2025, latest data from the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) shows.
The United States remained the leading source of remittances, accounting for 53 percent of the total inflows. This translates to approximately Sh84.8 billion from Kenyans based in the US alone.
The strong performance is a continuation of a steady upward trend in diaspora remittances, which remain the country’s top source of foreign exchange, ahead of tourism and agricultural exports.
CBK attributes the growth to increased use of digital money transfer platforms, a resilient global job market for migrant workers, and improved financial literacy among diaspora communities.
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Remittances are a key economic pillar, supporting thousands of households in Kenya through direct spending on education, healthcare, housing, and small businesses.
According to CBK, North America, Europe, and the Gulf region remain the main sources of remittances to Kenya.
According to International Migration Snapshot data, US is a host to more than 157,000 Kenyans living, followed by UK with 139,000 citizens. The surge is remittances from Gulf nations including Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain is as a result of the increasing demand of skilled, semi-skilled and domestic workers from the Gulf.
Moreover, the high unemployment in Kenya has driven many young people to seek for greener pastures in these countries.
In 2024, Kenyans working abroad sent home Sh640 billion up from Sh531 billion in 2023 according to data from CBK.
