Kenyan diaspora births surge 15 per cent to 5,694 amid population growth
The numbers reflect the growing trend of Kenyans relocating abroad for work, education, or family, driven by economic hardship and a State-supported labour migration programme.
More Kenyan children are being born outside the country, with newly released government data showing a nearly 15 per cent increase in foreign-registered births last year.
The numbers reflect the growing trend of Kenyans relocating abroad for work, education, or family, driven by economic hardship and a State-supported labour migration programme.
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According to the Kenya Vital Statistics Report 2024 by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), 5,694 Kenyan births were registered in foreign countries in 2024, up from 4,954 the previous year.
Most of these births occurred in the United States and the United Kingdom.
The KNBS notes that these figures represent cases where Kenyan citizens living abroad voluntarily register the birth of their children with Kenyan authorities.
Under Kenyan law, a person is a citizen by birth if either parent holds Kenyan citizenship, regardless of where the child is born.
The increase came during a period when images of long queues at immigration offices in Nairobi made headlines, as Kenyans rushed to secure travel documents. Many were seeking to leave the country due to growing frustration with joblessness and the rising cost of living.
At the same time, the government stepped up efforts to send citizens abroad through a structured labour export programme meant to reduce unemployment back home.
The KNBS data shows that the United States led in the number of registered births at 1,649, accounting for 28.9 per cent of the total.
The UK followed with 1,076 births or 18.9 per cent, while the United Arab Emirates recorded 361 births, representing 6.3 per cent.
Other countries with a notable number of Kenyan births included Australia (235), Canada (225), Uganda (197), Saudi Arabia (152), South Africa (151), and Tanzania (145). Also listed were Germany (130), Sweden (125), Qatar (104), Yemen (92), Finland (87), and Switzerland (77).
KNBS further revealed that most of the registered births - 35.4 per cent - were from mothers aged between 30 and 34 years.
A separate report by the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) published in April put the estimated number of Kenyans in the diaspora at four million.
The PBO noted that 0.01 per cent of these individuals are not registered as citizens by ancestry, sparking fresh policy interest in easing access to Kenyan citizenship for those with roots in the country.
“It is provided that the cost of citizenship application for dependents of children of Kenyan citizens is Sh100,000 as gazetted by the Cabinet Secretary responsible for immigration services. It is therefore estimated that the cost of such an application for their descendants will also be Sh100,000,” read the PBO.
The office projected that allowing diaspora-born children to obtain citizenship would generate about Sh40 million in annual revenue for the government.
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