NAIROBI, Kenya- Wealthy Kenyans continue to show strong confidence in the country’s investment landscape, with most high-net-worth individuals choosing to retain the bulk of their wealth in domestic assets despite increasing access to international investment opportunities, according to the latest Knight Frank Kenya Wealth & Investment Trends Report 2026.
The report indicates that affluent investors continue to hold the majority of their residential property portfolios within Kenya, while interest in acquiring second citizenships or alternative residency programmes remains relatively low. The findings suggest that investors still favour familiar markets where they have greater oversight of their assets and stronger professional networks.
Knight Frank Africa Research Analyst Boniface Abudho said Kenyan investors are making disciplined investment decisions based on long-term value rather than chasing opportunities abroad.
“Investors are making disciplined allocation decisions based on market familiarity, long-term asset performance, and the ability to actively manage their investments. While international diversification remains important, domestic investments continue to play a central role in portfolio construction,” Abudho said.
According to the report, investors continue to favour Kenya because they have a better understanding of the local market, established business relationships and access to diverse investment opportunities across residential, commercial, industrial and alternative real estate sectors. These advantages allow investors to diversify their portfolios without venturing far from markets they understand well.
Knight Frank Kenya Chief Executive Officer Mark Dunford said investment priorities are increasingly centred on wealth preservation, resilience and sustainable long-term returns instead of speculative gains.
“The report also notes that investment decisions are increasingly driven by wealth preservation, resilience and sustainable returns rather than speculation. What we are seeing is a balanced investment approach. Investors are selectively diversifying internationally where it complements their portfolios, while continuing to allocate significant capital to opportunities within Kenya across multiple asset classes,” Dunford said.
Abudho added that portfolio resilience, liquidity and accessibility are becoming key considerations for wealthy investors, with domestic investments continuing to meet many of these objectives.
“The findings reinforce that investment decisions are increasingly being driven by portfolio resilience, liquidity, accessibility and long-term return expectations. Domestic investments continue to satisfy many of these objectives for Kenyan high-net-worth individuals,” he said.
Knight Frank noted that although international diversification remains an important component of wealth management strategies, domestic investments continue to form the foundation of long-term wealth preservation and growth.
The report concludes that investment decisions are increasingly being shaped by sound risk management, strategic asset allocation and portfolio diversification rather than geographic expansion alone.