From January to September 2026, Kenyans living abroad sent home $3.769bn through banks and licensed remittance providers, according to the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK). In the same nine months of 2025 they sent $3.774bn.
That is a fall of $5.2m, or 0.14%, Business Daily reported: about KES 674.96m less reaching Kenyan households. Behind that small number sit two large moves in opposite directions.
Where the money came from
| Source | Jan–Sep 2025 | Jan–Sep 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| North America | $2.191bn | $1.946bn | −11.19% |
| Europe | $683.1m | $798.4m | +16.87% |
| Rest of world | $899.8m | $1.025bn | +13.86% |
| Total | $3.774bn | $3.769bn | −0.14% |
Source: Central Bank of Kenya, diaspora remittances by source; percentage changes as reported by Business Daily, 18 October 2026.
North America (Facts): inflows fell by $245.2m (KES 31.83bn), Business Daily reported. The CBK does not split out the United States, but the paper notes that most North American inflows come from there. The fall coincides with a 1% US tax on certain money transfers abroad, in force since 1 January 2026, and with higher living costs in the US. Business Daily adds that the data do not show how much of the decline is due to the levy.
Europe and the rest of the world (Facts): together they added $240.5m (KES 31.22bn), almost covering the North American shortfall.
The latest month
September (Facts): the CBK's table shows total inflows of $438.5m in September 2026, against $419.6m in September 2025. North America sent $215.5m, against $245.9m a year earlier.
What the CBK says (Facts): after the October Monetary Policy Committee meeting, Governor Kamau Thugge said remittances "slowed down, mainly reflecting reduced inflows from the USA and Saudi Arabia", while noting "some recovery" in the last two months. The CBK projects growth of 0.7% for 2026 and 3% for 2027, Business Daily reported.
What it means
For families who receive money (Analysis): the total has held roughly level, but the mix has changed. A household whose money comes from the US is more likely to have seen less arrive this year than one whose money comes from Europe.
For the shilling (Analysis): remittances are one of Kenya's main sources of dollars. Flat inflows add nothing new to that supply; they do not take much away either.
For senders in the US (Analysis): the 1% levy is a cost on top of the provider's own fee and exchange-rate margin, so the provider's price matters as much as before. Our cheapest way to send money to Kenya page lists what the World Bank found each service charges. Afronomics may earn a referral fee from some providers listed there; it never changes the order, which is by cost alone.
What to watch
- The CBK's October figures: whether North America's monthly inflows stay below last year's.
- Whether the full-year total ends above 2025's, as the CBK's 0.7% projection assumes.
- Inflows from Saudi Arabia, which the CBK named alongside the US as a drag.
Information, not advice.