For Somali Diasporans "Returning Home," Kenya is the Next Best Thing

Born in Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland, Hassan and his family arrived in the U.S. when he was nine. While Somaliland enjoys relative stability today, it lacks the infrastructure and economic opportunities to make moving back with his business feasible. Somalia wasn't an option either.

Decades of conflict have forced over two million Somalis—more than 10 percent of the population—into the diaspora. Somali families built new lives far from home, from Minnesota to Toronto and Stockholm to Melbourne.

Yet, many raised in the West have begun leaving their adopted countries in recent years. Instead of returning to Somalia, they are choosing Nairobi. For this new wave of returnees—well-educated, upwardly mobile, and holding Western passports—the city offers a middle ground: a place with familiar food, language, and community alongside the modern conveniences they're used to.

Kenya as a middle ground

Somalia remains a complicated choice for those looking to return to their roots. While Mogadishu has made some progress, security concerns and limited infrastructure make it difficult for returnees to settle comfortably. Instead, Nairobi has emerged as the ideal alternative.

"For Somalis, Kenya is the closest thing to home without actually being in a post-conflict country," says Hassan Ghedi Santur, a 48-year-old writer-editor who moved to Nairobi in 2017 temporarily before deciding to stay. "There is a huge Somali population. There is Somali food and Somali restaurants and being around people who understand your culture."

Nairobi's Somali neighborhoods, like Eastleigh, offer a strong sense of community, while the city's stability, expanding economy, and global connections make it a more practical choice. At the same time, its cosmopolitan lifestyle—dining, shopping, and events—provides many of the comforts returnees enjoyed in the West, easing their transition.

Kenya has also benefited from their move. Like their Somali Kenyan counterparts, Somali diasporans contribute to the country's economy, particularly in trade, finance, real estate, and entrepreneurship. Their business acumen and international experience have flourished in Nairobi's private sector.

This economic vibrancy was a key reason Hassan chose Nairobi. Though he initially fell in love with the city as a touring musician, he ultimately saw it as the ideal place to transition his fashion line, Hayan Collection, from Los Angeles. "From a business perspective, it made sense," he explains. "There's an opportunity here. I came at a time when many people were moving here."

A search for belonging

With Kenya's proximity to Somalia and its deep-rooted Somali community, many in the diaspora have family ties in the country.

For Santur, this meant relocating to Nairobi in 2017 to care for his ailing mother alongside his sister. Two years later, his mother passed away. But by then, Nairobi had started to feel like home. Instead of returning to Canada, where he had lived for 26 years, he chose to stay.

Like many African immigrants, Santur grew up believing in the promise of the West: that it is a place of limitless opportunities and a clear path to success. However, for many Somalis raised in North America and Europe, that dream has not always matched reality.

While working as a journalist, Santur describes his career in Canada as defined by an "invisible ceiling." Despite earning multiple degrees and working tirelessly, career advancement remained frustratingly elusive.

"You do everything right, like get an education and work hard. But there's always this feeling that you won't advance as you should," he says. It's a reality he explored in his journalism and a sentiment shared by many Somali Canadians he interviewed.

Ahmed Mire, a 26-year-old skateboarder born and raised in Minnesota, recalls how microaggressions in the U.S. slowly wore him down. He says it's especially hard for Africans who move to rural areas or places with small black populations. "I grew up around white people in the suburbs of Minnesota, where I was one of the only Black kids in my class. Being here, surrounded by people who look like me, brings a huge sense of comfort."

For Santur, choosing to stay was also about reclaiming dignity. "A sense of being at home amongst your people is really important. [In North America], you can do all the right things, but this sort of hard-to-define otherness permeates your entire life. And it can wear you down after a while."

Now a father, he worries about raising his son in the West if he chooses to return. "I don't want him growing up feeling different or seen as a threat, especially as a boy. Young Black men are treated like everyone else until they reach a certain age, and then suddenly, they're seen as potential threats. I want my child to be a child."

Navigating xenophobia and discrimination

Moving to Kenya does have its challenges. Some returnees struggle with bureaucracy, corruption, and adjusting to a different pace of life. Xenophobia is another issue.

While Kenya has a long history with its Somali population, discrimination and stereotypes persist. Several people declined to be interviewed for this story, fearing xenophobic repercussions. Santur notes that xenophobia spiked during Al-Shabaab-led terrorist attacks in the 2010s, but he believes attitudes have since improved. Though he doesn't feel targeted, he acknowledges that Somalis living in areas like Eastleigh may face more discrimination.

Hassan says tensions tend to rise around political moments, such as the current discussions on national identification policies. "When things ramp up, even if you don't see it directly, you feel it—100 percent."

Despite the challenges, the trend of young Somali expats choosing Nairobi continues to grow. Online forums like Reddit are filled with discussions from Somalis in the diaspora who are considering a move.

For those who have moved, Nairobi represents more than just a home. It's a place where they can fully exist, free from the limitations placed on them elsewhere.

For Mire, what started as a family trip to Nairobi became life-changing. His love for skateboarding ultimately drew him back. "I found this amazing skateboarding community, and it felt like home," he says. "It wasn't just about skating. It was about being around people who looked like me, who welcomed me."

Now dedicated to growing the skateboarding scene in East Africa, Mire works to make the sport more accessible to local youth. "I want kids here to have the same opportunities I had," he says. "Skateboarding changed my life, and I want to share that with others."

As more young Somalis consider their place in the world, the idea of "going home" is evolving. For many, home isn't a single place. It's a feeling, a connection, and a choice. And for some, that choice remains Nairobi. "I'd choose Kenya any day," Hassan says. "Some things have aligned that made the move make sense."

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Hassan Ghedi Santur moved to Nairobi in 2021 when the correct year was 2017. Additionally, a paragraph mischaracterized Santur instead of Abdirizaq Hassan as a touring musician transitioning a fashion line.