fbpx
Market intelligence for international student recruitment from ICEF

Affordability shaping Kenyan outbound trends

Kenya is one of those markets that is sometimes hard to see clearly. The official stats from UNESCO suggest that outbound mobility has been essentially flat over the past decade. But the fundamentals for this emerging East African market are notably strong. It is home to one of the strongest economies on the continent, and also a booming, youthful population that is projected to exceed 80 million people by 2050. Part of the answer to this apparent contradiction may lie in patterns of income distribution and income growth in Kenya, and in particular that income levels are relatively low overall. A recent Pew Research report points out that only 5% of Kenyans are within a middle-income bracket, as compared to 13% globally. The same report estimates that slightly more than nine in ten Kenyans are in a low-income bracket or living in poverty. This may be due in part to the fact that much of the country’s economy is grounded in resource and agricultural industries, and with a significant proportion of informal employment. In contrast, middle-class, middle-income earners tend to be concentrated in Kenya’s service industries (e.g., finance, insurance) and in the main urban centres of Nairobi and Mombasa. Another factor in the curiously flat trajectory of Kenya’s outbound stats is that, in addition to the student movement tracked by UNESO, there are large numbers of students studying outside of the country in neighbouring East African states, particularly Uganda. This intra-regional mobility has never been well-tracked, and is fuelled in part by Kenyans’ interest in more affordable study destinations. The question of affordability was front and centre in a recent discussion that we had with Amin Esmail. Mr Esmail is the chief executive of Uniserv, a long-established education agency based in Nairobi. As he explains in our first interview segment below, outbound student numbers are almost certainly undercounted and especially where more affordable destinations are concerned. But Mr Esmail also sees a longer-term trend to further growth in the market. “Traditionally, students have not had the same information available to them that they have today,” he points out. “More and more students are looking around, seeing opportunities, and, to a great number, getting pleasant surprises that when we look around the world that there are opportunities [to study overseas] but only that we were unaware of them.” In our second interview segment below, Mr Esmail highlights that the US remains a leading destination for Kenyan students. He notes as well though that India is a major destination in its own right, and one where outbound numbers tend to be greatly understated. The overall picture, however, is one of shifting patterns of demand and destination preferences for Kenyan students as students and families become more and aware of the different study options available to them. “Canada has picked up momentum tremendously,” he says, citing one such shift in student preference. “This has to do partly with the cost of their education…and that it is more student friendly than many countries.” On the question of how to approach recruiting in Kenya, Mr Esmail’s advice is simple: “It is important to have your presence there,” he says. “To visit regularly, and there are always local exhibitions where recruiters are invited and that is one of the opportunities to come and meet students. This is an investment but one that is rewarded by both the quality and quantity of students that you can get from East Africa.” For additional background, please see:

Most Recent

  • International student interest in US falls to pandemic-era low Read More
  • International schools segment registers impressive five-year growth numbers Read More
  • Trump administration orders a pause on new student visa interviews Read More

Most Popular

  • Which countries will contribute the most to global student mobility in 2030? Read More
  • Research shows link between study abroad and poverty alleviation  Read More
  • Beyond the Big Four: How demand for study abroad is shifting to destinations in Asia and Europe Read More

Because you found this article interesting

International student interest in US falls to pandemic-era low After months of announcements, immigration enforcement actions, and confusion around US policies for international students – as well...
Read more
Trump administration orders a pause on new student visa interviews Journalists at Politico have obtained a US State Department cable sent to all US diplomatic posts on 27...
Read more
Trump administration bars Harvard from enrolling international students; judge promptly issues restraining order to prevent the move Updated for 23 May 2025: The US government has suspended Harvard University’s ability to enrol foreign students, effective...
Read more
Plans afoot to stimulate UK–EU student mobility under new terms The UK government has opened negotiations with the European Union to restart a youth mobility scheme to and...
Read more
New Zealand enters peak visa processing window Immigration New Zealand (INZ) is circulating an advisory to let students and stakeholders know that the country “is...
Read more
US: Visa status of foreign graduates on OPT under renewed scrutiny More than 240,000 foreign graduates in the United States – or more than one in five current student visa...
Read more
Economic impact of UK ELT estimated at nearly £2 billion A new study commissioned by English UK finds that the country’s ELT (English Language Teaching) sector generated £996...
Read more
UK sets out new immigration strategy, will reduce Graduate Route work term to 18 months A white paper released by the UK government on 12 May 2025 provides a blueprint for the country’s...
Read more
What are you looking for?
Quick Links