Expats rank Kenya higher but worry about safety

Nairobi skyline. Kenya has improved its ranking as a destination for foreign workers. FILE PHOTO | NMG 

By DOREEN WAINAINAH
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Summary

• The 2019 Expat Insider survey saw Kenya ranked 36 out of the 64 countries, an improvement from its position in 2018.

Kenya has improved its ranking as a destination for foreign workers, jumping 15 places in one year in a survey by global network of expatriates InterNations.

The 2019 Expat Insider survey saw Kenya ranked 36 out of the 64 countries, an improvement from its position in 2018.

“Kenya has gained 15 ranks in the Expat Insider 2019 survey due to improvements in every index aside from the Personal Finance Index (from 44th to 53rd),” said the report by InterNations.

Kenya also ranked as the seventh easiest nation for expats to settle in, but was in the bottom quarter when it came to safety and security where it ranked 58th. Security issues have plagued Kenya on and off with the latest attack in January at mixed use complex Riverside 14—which houses multinationals—raising concerns.

“More than one in three expats or 33 percent worries about both their nine percent globally and the country’s political instability (vs. 17 percent globally),” said the report.Despite the low ranking, expats have had a friendly reception by locals with the data indicating that 72 percent find it easy to make new friends in Kenya, compared to the global average of 54 percent.

About 74 percent of expatriates surveyed also describe the Kenyans as friendly towards foreign residents, higher than the global average of 65 percent.

But Kenya still ranks among the 10 worst destinations in the Economy and Job Security subcategory. And 29 percent of expats say they lack job security and 40 percent are unhappy with the current state of the economy.

The survey further reveals that just about three in five expats in Kenya (61 percent) are happy with their financial situation in 2019 (compared to 70 percent in 2018), and almost a third (32 percent) think that their disposable household income is not enough to cover all living expenses (versus 18 percent in 2018).

It is published annually by InterNations with more than 20,000 respondents sharing insights into expat life in 64 destinations.