Kenyan Americans are an ethnic group of Americans of Kenyan descent and ancestry. As of the 2021 census, there were an estimated 94,623 Kenyan-born persons living in the United States. Most Kenyan Americans are concentrated in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Seattle, Texas, Maryland, Georgia, New York, North Carolina, and the greater Washington, D.C. area.

History

Restrictions against immigration from Asia and Africa led to little voluntary immigration from Kenya until the latter half of the 20th century and low a number of slaves bringing to the Americas in late 18th century and early 19th century at the Atlantic slave trade. Kenyan emigration to the United States then noted a large increase, nearly doubling from the decades before. This increase was caused by several factors; political instability and a downturn in the economy in the 1980s in Kenya coupled with a high rate of unemployment (over 35 percent) led to a greater desire to immigrate. Some immigrants were also attracted to technology-oriented careers in the United States that boomed in availability in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Demographics

Kenyan Americans come from ethnic groups such as the Kikuyu, Kisii, Luhya,Maasai people[Maasai] Kamba, Kalenjin, Meru or Luo people. The largest populations of Kenyans in the United States are found in Texas, Minnesota, Washington, Southern California, Massachusetts, and Maryland (including the greater Washington, D.C. area.) Many Kenyans are also established in Georgia and North Carolina, states with important health care centers. According to the 2010 census, approximately one-third of persons born in Kenya who are living in the US have become naturalized citizens. African immigrants are among the most educated groups in the United States. Like their recent immigrant counterparts Kenyan Americans give a high value to education. According to estimates from the Migration Policy Institute for 2015 to 2019, the total number of immigrants from Kenya in the United States was 141,800. The top counties of settlement were as follows:

1. Hennepin County, MN – 6,900
2. King County, WA – 4,500
3. Tarrant County, TX – 4,400
4. Dallas County, TX – 3,700
5. Baltimore County, MD – 3,000
6. Harris County, TX – 2,900
7. Los Angeles County, CA – 2,500
8. Franklin County, OH – 2,500
9. Middlesex County, Mass.– 2,400
10. Collin County, TX – 2,400
11. Pierce County, WA – 2,200
12. Montgomery County, MD – 2,000
13. Cobb County, GA – 2,000
14. Ramsey County, MN – 1,900
15. New Castle County, DE – 1,900
16. Maricopa County, AZ – 1,800
17. Johnson County, KS – 1,800 From the same source for 2017-2021, there was a total of 150,900 Kenyan immigrants nationally, the top counties of settlement being:
18. King County, WA. – 6,800 – 1)
19. Hennepin, MN – 6,800 – (Down 1)
20. Tarrant County, TX – 5,100 – (Same)
21. Dallas County, TX – 3,700 – (Same)
22. Middlesex County, MA – 3,100 – (Up 4)
23. Franklin County, OH – 3,000 – (Up 2)
24. Pierce County, WA – 2,900 – (Up 4)
25. Los Angeles County, CA – 2,800 – (Down 1)
26. Harris County, TX – 2,800 – (Down 3)
27. Baltimore County, MD – 2,700 – 5)
28. ) Ramsey County, MN – 2,200 – (Up 3)
29. Wake County, NC – 2,100 – (New)
30. Maricopa County, AZ – 2,100 – (Up 3)
31. Johnson County, KS – 2,100 – (Up 3)
32. Collin County, TX – 2,100 – (Down 5)
33. Saint Louis County, MO – 1,900 – (New)
34. Montgomery County, MD – 1,900 – (Down 5)
35. Orange County, CA – 1,800
36. New Castle County, DE – 1,800 – (Down 4)
37. Worcester County, MA – 1,500
38. Fort Bend County, TX – 1,500
39. Fairfax County, VA – 1,500
40. Dakota County, MN – 1,500
41. Hudson County, NJ – 1,400
42. Gwinnett County, GA – 1,400
43. Essex County, NJ – 1,400
44. Denton County, TX – 1,400
45. Cobb County, GA – 1,400 – (Down 15)
46. Middlesex County, NJ – 1,200

• Santa Clara County, California, and Cass County, North Dakota, each had 1,100 while Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, had 1,000.

Organizations

Like other immigrant groups living in the US, Kenyan Americans have created many organizations. These include the Kenya Diaspora Advisory Council, the Kenya American Association, the Kenyan-Cincinnati Association ("kcaweb", whose goal is to facilitate Kenyan integration in social and cultural scopes in the tri-state area and promoting awareness of the culture of Kenya in the United States), the Minnesota Kenyan International Development Association ("MKIDA", formed in 2003, to improve education and the economy of the Kenyan Americans) and KACA (Kenyan Americans Community Association). The American Kenyan Educational Corporation focuses on funding secondary school students and building schools in Kenya.

Notable people