Kenya remittances totalled USD 430.5 million in October 2026, down 1.9 percent from USD 438.8 million in October 2025, the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) reported.
Households that rely on money from relatives abroad received 1.9 percent less in dollars than a year earlier. Over 12 months, inflows fell 1.1 percent to USD 5,023 million.
Kenya remittances fell 1.9 percent in October against a year earlier
Inflows in the 12 months to October 2026 came to USD 5,023 million, against USD 5,082 million in the same period in 2025. October inflows stood at USD 355.6 million in 2023, USD 437.2 million in 2024 and USD 438.8 million in 2025, according to the CBK chart. September 2026 inflows were USD 438.5 million, so October fell 1.8 percent on the month.
The CBK said remittance inflows “remain a key source of foreign exchange earnings and continue to support the balance of payments.”
Rest of World inflows rose 19.5 percent as North America and Europe fell
North America sent USD 195.6 million in October, down from USD 215.5 million in September. Europe sent USD 85.1 million, down from USD 97.7 million. Rest of World senders raised their inflows to USD 149.8 million from USD 125.3 million.
| Region | September 2026 (USD million) | October 2026 (USD million) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| North America | 215.5 | 195.6 | -9.2% |
| Europe | 97.7 | 85.1 | -12.9% |
| Rest of World | 125.3 | 149.8 | +19.5% |
| Total | 438.5 | 430.5 | -1.8% |
Source: Central Bank of Kenya. Changes calculated by Khusoko.
North America still supplied the largest share of October inflows at 45.4 percent. Rest of World followed at 34.8 percent and Europe at 19.8 percent.
August set the 2026 peak at USD 451.8 million
Inflows ranged from USD 375.6 million in June to USD 451.8 million in August, with March at USD 450.3 million. January to October inflows add up to USD 4,199.4 million.
Khusoko reported the 16.2 percent rebound in July, when the 12 month total stood at USD 4,987 million, down 1.8 percent from a year earlier. The October figure puts that total at USD 5,023 million, down 1.1 percent.
CBK projects USD 5.1 billion for 2026 as Gulf inflows slow
The 2026 projection stands at USD 5.1 billion (about KSh659 billion), KSh40 billion below an earlier figure. Inflows in 2025 reached USD 5.04 billion (KSh651 billion). Conflicts in the Middle East and a 15 percent VAT on transfer services in Saudi Arabia slowed growth expectations from the Gulf, which supplies about 10 percent of inflows.
Khusoko reported in May that the VAT and a skills-based work permit framework, introduced in June 2025, cut Saudi inflows. June’s coverage added that remittances from Saudi Arabia fell more than 25 percent in 2025.
The United States supplies over half of inflows
The United States supplied over 54 percent of 2025 inflows, about USD 2.73 billion (KSh352.6 billion). Other source countries include Germany, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Kingdom.
What it means for households and the shilling
CBK household and diaspora surveys show senders direct funds to family members for food, education and medical needs, and to real estate or mortgage investments.
A 1.1 percent fall in 12 month inflows means USD 59 million less reached those uses than in the year to October 2025. Remittances equal about 4 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).
Dollar inflows also set how much foreign currency moves through the shilling market, as Khusoko reported in its July coverage. Most remittances move through banks and International Money Transfer Operators (IMTOs) that hold CBK licences, and the CBK tracks them each month through its Diaspora Remittances Portal.
