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.
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Some friends have been reaching out to him to explore a “change from the U.S for their peace of mind,” he said.
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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.
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“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.
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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.
The post The Reverse Migration: African Americans Relocating to Kenya Cite Heritage and Restoration appeared first on American Renaissance.
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