Central Bank reveals amount Kenyans abroad sent home as diaspora remittances fall
Money sent home by Kenyans living and working abroad declined in October 2026, with new Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) figures showing that diaspora remittances fell by more than Ksh1 billion compared to the same month last year. According to the CBK weekly bulletin released on Friday, November 13, remittance inflows stood at $430.5 million […]
In October 2026, Kenyans living and working abroad sent $430.5 million (around Ksh56 billion) in remittances back to their home country, according to the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK). This represents a decrease of $8.3 million (approximately Ksh1.08 billion) or 1.9 percent compared to the same month in 2025. The overall 12-month total for remittances to Kenya fell, with the bank reporting a 1.1 percent reduction to $5.023 billion (about Ksh653.2 billion) in October 2026, down from $5.082 billion (around Ksh660.9 billion) in the previous year.
Despite this decline, diaspora remittances remain a crucial source of foreign exchange for Kenya and contribute to the nation's balance of payments. The shilling maintained steady exchange rates against the US dollar, British pound, and euro in November 2026, while foreign exchange reserves totaled $14.605 billion (around Ksh1.9 trillion), covering imports for 5.9 months.
Written by urgent.news from People Daily Kenya's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
