Diaspora remittances from the US (in million dollars)
In January 2026 alone, Kenyans living in the US sent home Sh25 billion.
3mon agoWILLIAM WANYOIKEInfographics
The United States remains the primary driver of diaspora remittances to Kenya, outstripping all other global regions by a staggering margin during the first quarter of the year.
Newly released data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), captured in WhatsApp Image 2026-05-28 at 2.09.08 PM.jpeg, details the capital inflows from January to March for both 2025 and 2026.
While the US continues to dominate the landscape, a shifting economic dynamic is emerging across several key European and Middle Eastern corridors.
Inflows from the US fell slightly from $652.47 million in the first quarter of 2025 to $622.63 million during the same period in 2026. Despite this marginal dip, the American market still contributes multiple times the combined total of the next five highest-remitting nations.
By contrast, the United Kingdom saw a notable surge in remittance volumes, climbing from $78.41 million in 2025 to $100.35 million in 2026.
Other major contributors exhibited consistent upward growth between the two periods. Financial inflows from Australia rose from $56.03 million to $65.31 million, while remittances originating from Germany increased from $46.52 million to $56.73 million.
In the Middle East, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) marked an upward trajectory, growing from $37.20 million to $51.02 million. Conversely, Saudi Arabia recorded a sharp decline in remittance volumes, dropping by more than half from $98.67 million in the first quarter of 2025 down to just $46.99 million in the corresponding months of 2026.
