NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenyans living in the United Arab Emirates have emerged as one of the largest groups contacting government hotlines for guidance amid rising tensions in the Middle East, Diaspora Affairs Principal Secretary Roseline Njogu has said.
Speaking in an interview with NTV Kenya on Monday, Njogu disclosed that about 330 calls had been received by Sunday from across the region, with the majority originating from the UAE and Bahrain.
“We have seen a number of people sign up through the platform, and several calls have come through our 24-hour response centre in Nairobi,” Njogu said. “People are letting us know their locations, who they are with, and in some cases, updating us on their families. It also gives us the chance to remind everyone to shelter in place, minimise movement, and rely only on official information.”
She added that families in Kenya are also reaching out to confirm the safety of their relatives abroad as regional tensions intensify.
Diaspora Numbers in the Middle East
According to Njogu, more than 500,000 Kenyans reside in Middle Eastern countries, with Saudi Arabia hosting the largest share.
“We have about 300,000 in Saudi Arabia, around 70,000 in Qatar, between 60,000 and 80,000 in the UAE, and growing numbers in Oman,” she said. “In Iran, we are down to about 100 after last year’s evacuation. Israel has roughly 1,000, and Lebanon is a moving target due to past evacuations. There is also a small presence in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan.”
The figures underscore Kenya’s deep labour ties with Gulf nations, particularly under bilateral labour mobility arrangements.
Njogu noted that Kenya’s global diaspora now stands at approximately four million, although the number shifts frequently due to migration patterns, returnees and births abroad.
“Our numbers are about four million Kenyans. That number is always moving because people move from country to country, return home, or have children abroad who may not be registered as Kenyan citizens,” she said.
In the past three years alone, about 541,000 Kenyans have secured opportunities abroad through the labour mobility programme, with the majority heading to the Middle East. Others have relocated to Europe, Australia, the United States and Canada.
No Evacuation Yet
Despite mounting geopolitical tensions, the government says it is not considering an immediate evacuation.
“We are far from an evacuation scenario, but we have a plan in place if it comes to that,” Njogu said.
The Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs has activated monitoring and response mechanisms, including a 24-hour hotline and an online registration platform to track citizens’ locations in affected areas. Officials say contingency frameworks exist should the security situation deteriorate.
Njogu urged Kenyans abroad to stay indoors where advised, follow directives from local authorities and Kenyan embassies, and avoid unverified information circulating online.
“Use official channels when moving abroad to ensure the government can easily intervene during a crisis,” she said.
As tensions persist, authorities face the dual task of safeguarding citizens overseas while managing anxiety among families at home — a reminder of the growing scale and strategic importance of Kenya’s diaspora community.
