The reverse migration: African Americans relocating to Kenya cite heritage and restoration

Los Angeles Times

5 days ago

NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenneth Harris spent most of his days in Atlanta yearning for a life in a place where his dark skin color is not a source of suspicion, but a mark of a shared heritage. His chance came two years ago when he bought a one-way ticket to Kenya.
The 38-year-old retired veteran has found a community in the east African country's capital, where he now runs an Airbnb business. He loves admiring Nairobi's golden sunset from a rooftop terrace, and enjoys a luxurious lifestyle in a tastefully furnished apartment in an upmarket neighborhood.
Harris is part of a growing wave of African Americans who are relocating to Kenya, citing the need to connect with their ancestors — or 'coming home,' a phrase often used among the Black community.
Like dozens of other African Americans who have moved to Nairobi in recent years, Harris was attracted to Kenya's tropical climate and what he describes as the warmth and friendliness of the people he believes he shares a history and culture with.
'I have always had that adventurous spirit, especially when I joined the military and got to go to different countries. So I am taking the opportunity to venture out to new places,' he said. 'That is what allowed me to make a home away from home and Kenya is my new home.'
Some friends have reaching out to him to explore a 'change from the U.S for their peace of mind,' he said.
Several other African Americans who have 'come home' like him have set up thriving businesses in Nairobi that include travel agencies, restaurants and farms.
Many African Americans who have sought a better life abroad or are considering it said President Trump's administration — with its crackdown on diversity programs — isn't the main reason they want to move.
Rather, most say they had been mulling a move for some time, and the current political environment in the U.S. may be pushing them to act sooner than initially planned.
'I can't say the administration is the reason why the people I know want to part ways from America. Some are planning to move for a better quality of living life,' Harris said.
Auston Holleman, an American YouTuber who has lived in various countries for almost a decade, said he settled on Kenya nine months ago because people 'look like me.'
'It is not like going to Europe or going to some Latin American countries where there are not many Black people,' he said.
Holleman, who often films his daily life, said he felt that the social fabric in the U.S. was 'broken.' In contrast, he said he felt socially accepted in Kenya. He cited an experience when his taxi driver's car stopped, and in five minutes they got help from a random stranger.
'That made me realize I was in the right place,' he said.
Other African countries have attracted even larger numbers of African Americans. Ghana, which launched a 'Year of the Return' program to attract the Black diaspora in 2019, said last year it held a ceremony that granted citizenship to 524 people, mostly Black Americans.
African American businesses such as Adilah Relocation Services have seen a notable rise in the number of African Americans seeking to move to Kenya.
The company's founder, Adilah Mohammad, moved to Kenya four days after her mother's funeral in search of healing.
She says the peace and restoration she experienced in Kenya made her stay — and advocate for those searching for the same. Her company helps clients relocate by house hunting, shopping for furniture and ensuring banking and medical services are seamless.
'There are 15 families that have come so far, and we have five more on the calendar that are coming in the next 90 days. We have people that have booked for 2026 with no date, they just know that they are leaving,' she says.
Mohammad said many African Americans have been planning their move for decades.
'For me it is a movement. It is people deciding to make a choice for themselves, they are not being forced, shackles are being broken. When they say they are coming home, they are choosing to be free and it is mental freedom and so I am ecstatic,' she says.
Experts say African economies are likely to benefit from these moves, especially from those willing to tackle corruption and create a healthy environment for investors.
Raphael Obonyo, a public policy expert at U.N-Habitat, says the U.S is losing resources — as well as the popular narrative that America is the land of opportunities and dreams.
'This reverse migration is denting that narrative, so America is most likely to lose including things like brain drain,' he explained.
For Mohammad, the sense of belonging has given her peace within.
'I love being here. Returning to Africa is one thing, but finding the place that you feel like you belong is another,' she said.
Musambi and Tiro write for the Associated Press.