NAIROBI, Kenya, June 16 – The United States was the leading source of remittances to Kenya, with Sh405.4 billion sent home in the year ending May 2025, according to the 2025 Remittances Household Survey by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK), the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), and FSD Kenya.
Of the total amount sent from the US, Sh388.1 billion was transferred in cash while Sh17.3 billion was received as in-kind inflows.
Other major sources of remittances were Germany, which accounted for Sh85.3 billion or 10.1 percent of total cash remittance inflows, followed by Spain (Sh38.6 billion), Norway (Sh24 billion), and the United Kingdom (Sh20.8 billion).
“The Middle East region accounted for 12.4 per cent of the total cash remittance inflows of KSh105.4 billion during the period under review. In this region, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) drove cash remittance inflows into the country, jointly contributing KSh100.3 billion of the total cash remittance inflows,” the report states.
“Australia was also a significant source of cash remittance inflows at KSh59.8 billion. In Africa, the East African Community (EAC) was the dominant source of cash remittance inflows, with South Sudan leading at KSh36.0 billion, followed by Tanzania and Uganda with inflows of KSh4.9 billion and KSh4.1 billion, respectively.”
During the review period, Kenyans sent home a record Sh931.8 billion to support household consumption, education, healthcare and investments.
According to the survey, Sh848.4 billion was received through cash transfers while Sh83.5 billion came in the form of in-kind remittances.
