A rising number of African Americans are relocating to Kenya in search of peace, connection, and belonging,sparking what many describe as a modern movement of “coming home,” according to the Associated Press (AP).

Kenneth Harris, a 38-year-old retired veteran from Atlanta, made the move two years ago, purchasing a one-way ticket to Kenya in pursuit of a place where his skin color would be seen not with suspicion, but as a symbol of shared heritage, according to the outlet. Today, he operates an Airbnb business in Nairobi, enjoying rooftop sunsets and a luxurious lifestyle in a well-furnished apartment in an upscale neighborhood.

“I have always had that adventurous spirit, especially when I joined the military and got to go to different countries,” he told AP. “So I am taking the opportunity to venture out to new places. That is what allowed me to make a home away from home and Kenya is my new home.”

Harris is among dozens of African Americans now building new lives in Kenya’s capital, many launching travel agencies, restaurants, and farms. While some acknowledge that U.S. politics have added urgency, most say the decision to leave had already been in motion.

“I can’t say the administration is the reason why the people I know want to part ways from America. Some are planning to move for a better quality of living life,” Harris told the AP. 

YouTuber Auston Holleman, who has lived abroad for nearly a decade, arrived in Kenya nine months ago because, he said, people “look like me.” He noted to the AP, “It is not like going to Europe or going to some Latin American countries where there are not many Black people.” 

Holleman described a moment when a stranger helped his stalled taxi within five minutes. “That made me realize I was in the right place,” he said.

This shift is part of a broader trend. Ghana’s 2019 “Year of the Return” initiative welcomed the global Black diaspora and has since granted citizenship to hundreds of African Americans. In Kenya, Adilah Mohammad, founder of Adilah Relocation Services, has seen a surge in demand from Black Americans ready to make the move.

Mohammad herself arrived in Kenya four days after her mother’s funeral in search of healing. 

“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.