High transaction expenses remain the primary hurdle for diaspora Kenyans sending money back home, according to the KNBS 2025 Remittances Household Survey Report.
Cost stands out as the single largest difficulty encountered by senders, cited by 67.3 per cent of respondents.
Other unspecified challenges account for 14.5 per cent, while long transfer times affect 7.0 per cent of individuals transferring cash remittances.
Both physical distance and inaccessible services were highlighted by 2.8 per cent of respondents as key impediments to smooth transactions.
Privacy concerns were reported by 2.3 per cent of senders. Meanwhile, unfavourable exchange rates and insecurity each pose a challenge for 1.4 per cent of Kenyans living abroad.
Stringent Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements rank lowest among the listed obstacles, cited by just 0.5 per cent of participants in the survey.
Overall, financial costs heavily outweigh operational or regulatory barriers for diaspora senders.
