Remittances from the United States to Kenya were US$178.45 million in October 2026, 28.1% less than a year earlier, the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK, the country’s central bank) shows. The CBK posted the figure in its remittances by source file, which we opened on 14 November.
Total diaspora remittances (money Kenyans abroad send home) barely moved, as higher flows from the United Arab Emirates and Africa offset most of the gap. Our explainer on the Kenyan diaspora in the United States shows who sends the money.
Key Facts
—Total. October 2026 remittances were US$430.46 million, down 1.9% on October 2025.
—United States. Inflows fell 28.1% on a year to US$178.45 million.
—United Arab Emirates. Inflows rose to US$38.40 million from US$7.10 million a year earlier.
—Share. The US made up 41.5% of the total, against 56.5% a year earlier.
—Unknown. The CBK gives no reason for the US fall or the Emirates jump.
Kenya’s October total hardly changed. Underneath it, the United States line fell by more than a quarter while the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Africa rose.
What the CBK Figures Show
The CBK lists US$430.46 million of diaspora remittances for October 2026 in its remittances by source file, opened on 14 November. That is US$8.32 million, or 1.9%, below the US$438.79 million of October 2025.
September 2026 stood at US$438.55 million, so October was 1.8% lower on the month by our calculation. The United States line was US$178.45 million, against US$197.48 million in September and US$248.04 million in October 2025.
By our calculation that is down 9.6% on September and 28.1% on a year. Canada went the other way, at US$15.64 million against US$12.42 million a year earlier, up 25.9%.
The United Kingdom sent US$31.08 million, down 14.3% from US$36.27 million in October 2025, the CBK file shows. Saudi Arabia sent US$11.09 million, down 37.0% from US$17.61 million.
Why the United States Matters
The US was 41.5% of the October 2026 total, against 56.5% in October 2025, by our calculation from the CBK file. It is still the largest single source by far.
A 28% fall means about US$69.6 million less in October than a year earlier (US$248.04 million minus US$178.45 million, our calculation). This is our reading of the CBK file, not a cause the CBK states.
The lines for the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Africa offset most of that loss. The United Arab Emirates rose to US$38.40 million from US$7.10 million a year earlier, 5.4 times as much by our calculation, and Qatar to US$8.26 million from US$4.82 million.
The CBK’s Asia total, which includes Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, rose 85.4% to US$76.25 million from US$41.14 million. Its Africa total rose 49.8% to US$47.77 million from US$31.88 million, the CBK file shows.
Our sum of the CBK monthly totals gives US$5.023 billion for the 12 months from November 2025 to October 2026. The October dip is about 0.17% of that, and our earlier article on Kenya’s remittances from the US through August gives the longer run.
What Is Not Known
The CBK gives no reason for the fall in US inflows or for the jump in the Emirates line. The file covers one month, so it cannot show a trend.
We therefore make no claim about jobs, policy or events as causes. Any such link would be speculation, because the CBK figures do not show it.
What Happens Next
The CBK’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC, the CBK panel that sets the benchmark interest rate) meets on Wednesday 9 December 2026, according to a CBK notice. Readers can follow the wider economy in our Kenya coverage.
What It Means for You
Families in Kenya who receive money from relatives in the United States are on the receiving end of the 28.1% fall, though the CBK file cannot show what any one household received. US-based Kenyans who send money are the other side of the same line, now 41.5% of inflows against 56.5%.
Investors in Kenyan assets can note that the total moved only 1.9% while the US line fell 28.1%. This is information, not advice, and one month does not make a trend.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are diaspora remittances?
Diaspora remittances are money that Kenyans living abroad send home to family and businesses. The Central Bank of Kenya publishes monthly figures by source country and region.
How much did the US send to Kenya in October 2026?
The CBK file shows US$178.45 million, down 28.1% from US$248.04 million in October 2025. The US was 41.5% of the US$430.46 million total.
Why did US remittances to Kenya fall?
The CBK gives no reason, and its file covers one month. We make no claim about the cause.
Which countries sent more than a year earlier?
The United Arab Emirates sent US$38.40 million against US$7.10 million, and Canada US$15.64 million against US$12.42 million. Qatar also rose, to US$8.26 million from US$4.82 million.
Sources
Central Bank of Kenya, remittances by source, October 2026 · Central Bank of Kenya, diaspora remittances · Central Bank of Kenya, next MPC meeting · The Rio Times calculation from CBK figures.
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