Nairobi, July 2 -- Kenyans living and working abroad cut the amount of money sent back home by $29.1 million (about Sh3.77 billion) in the first five months of 2026, marking the first drop since 2023.

Official numbers captured by the Central Bank of Kenya show diaspora remittances fell to $2.066 billion between January and May from $2.095 billion over the same period last year, ending two consecutive years of growth.

The 1.39 percent drop suggests Kenya's diaspora earnings are beginning to feel the strain of a more challenging global economy, including the effects of the war in the Middle East, after proving resilient through recent years of uncertainty.

The latest downturn mirrors the 2023 decline, when remittances in the review perio...