A new report by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) has revealed that the majority of Kenyans returning home from abroad do so after the expiry of their employment contracts or the termination of their jobs.
According to the 2025 Remittances Household Survey Report, which covers the period between June 2024 and May 2025, 59.2 per cent of returned emigrants—equivalent to 29,892 out of 50,465 returnees—said the end of their employment contracts was the main reason for returning to Kenya.
Employment Contracts Drive Return Migration
The report indicates that labour migration remains the primary reason many Kenyans move abroad, with a significant number returning after completing fixed-term employment contracts.
Only 0.3 per cent of returnees cited job transfers as the reason for coming back, suggesting that most overseas employment opportunities are temporary in nature.
Some Returnees Pursue New Opportunities
Beyond employment-related reasons, the survey found that some Kenyans returned to pursue economic opportunities at home. About 7.6 per cent planned to start businesses, while 4.9 per cent returned to look for agricultural land.
Another 2.2 per cent said they came back to seek paid employment within Kenya, highlighting efforts by some returnees to reintegrate into the local labour market.
Few Return for Personal Reasons
The report shows that non-economic reasons accounted for only a small proportion of return migration. Refugee or asylum-related returns represented 0.6 per cent, while education, health and family-related reasons each accounted for less than one per cent of total returnees.
Additionally, 24.6 per cent of respondents cited other or unspecified reasons for returning to Kenya.
Insights Into Kenya's Labour Migration
The findings provide new insight into Kenya's growing labour migration trend, where increasing numbers of citizens travel abroad in search of employment. The report suggests that while overseas jobs continue to attract many Kenyans, a large proportion of migrant workers eventually return home once their contracts come to an end, underscoring the importance of policies that support their reintegration into the country's economy.
