Mandera South MP: Somalis contribute almost 70% of Kenya’s diaspora remittances
By Kenneth Mwenda, January 7, 2026Mandera South Member of Parliament (MP) Abdul Haro has said Kenyans working in Somalia send more than Ksh70 million back home every day, arguing that their contribution to the economy is often ignored or misrepresented.
Abdul made the remarks on Tuesday, January 6, 2025, while defending the role of the Somali community in Kenya’s economic life. He said the figure applies only to Kenyans employed in Somalia and challenged critics to verify the data rather than dismiss it.
According to the MP, Kenyan Somalis account for close to 70 per cent of the country’s diaspora remittances, urging the public to look beyond traditional sources such as Europe and North America.
“And actually, if you talk of remittances, the other day the president told us actually the remittances from outside this country are becoming one of the major foreign income earners. And Somalis contribute almost 70% of those remittances. Forget about the diaspora European countries,” he said.
The MP used his speech to criticise former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who had previously questioned the influence of a certain businessperson in the Eastleigh area. Abdul accused Gachagua of using divisive language and targeting one community despite having held high public office.
He also highlighted Eastleigh, describing it as one of Nairobi’s most active commercial centres. He claimed businesses in the area contribute about 30 per cent of Nairobi County’s tax revenue, although no official county data has publicly confirmed the exact figure.
Diaspora remittances
His comments come at a time when diaspora remittances to Kenya continue to rise sharply. In November 2025, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi announced that remittance inflows had exceeded Ksh1 trillion by that month. Central Bank of Kenya figures show a steady increase from Ksh543.3 billion in 2023 to Ksh651.7 billion in 2024.
Mudavadi attributed the growth to labour agreements with countries such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar, as well as improved access to digital and remote work opportunities for Kenyans abroad.
Official data shows the United States remains Kenya’s largest source of remittances. Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom follow.