Nairobi, Feb. 15 -- The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) is expecting diaspora remittances to grow by four percent to $5.24 billion (Sh676 billion) this year, backed by a recovery in inflows from Saudi Arabia, where labour policy changes caused a sharp drop in volumes last year.

The growth in cash sent by Kenyans abroad stood at 1.9 percent in 2025 to reach $5.04 billion (Sh650 billion)-compared to a growth of 18 percent in 2024.

The CBK attributed the weaker growth mainly to a 25.06 percent decline in inflows from Saudi Arabia to $302.1 million (Sh39 billion) from $403.12 million (Sh52 billion) in 2024.

The increased recruitment of Kenyan workers into the Gulf region has boosted diaspora remittance flows from Saudi Arabia in recent years, ...