Published: May, 11, 2026
Kenya’s pool of unclaimed financial assets hit another record high in 2026. But here is the strange part: fewer people are stepping forward to claim what belongs to them.
According to the Economic Survey 2026 released by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, the Unclaimed Financial Assets Authority received KSh 5.18 billion in new unclaimed assets last year. That is up from KSh 4.27 billion in 2024.
Where Does The Money Come From?
Banks are the biggest source by far. The banking sector accounted for 70.4% of all unclaimed assets received during the year. The information and communication sector came in second at 14.9%. Listed companies and insurance firms contributed smaller shares.
Think about what that means. Every year, millions of shillings sitting in dormant bank accounts, unpaid dividends, insurance refunds that never reached their owners, and mobile money floats that got forgotten — all of it flows into UFAA’s custody.
Claims Are Falling. What Could Be The Reason?
The number of people who successfully claimed their assets dropped by 32.7%. In the 2024/25 financial year, only 5,014 claimants got their money back. The year before, 7,445 people did.
The total value reunified with claimants also fell, though by a smaller margin. It declined 1.2% to KSh 427.5 million in 2024/25.
So let us line up the numbers. The pool of unclaimed money is growing fast. But the number of people getting their share is shrinking. That points to one of two problems — or both.
Awareness or Bureaucracy?
Either ordinary Kenyans do not know the money exists. Or the process of getting it back is too hard.
The Unclaimed Financial Assets Authority has tried to raise awareness over the years. It runs campaigns, publishes lists of unclaimed assets, and encourages people to check if they have forgotten funds somewhere. Yet the trend line is moving in the wrong direction.
For every person who successfully claims their money, many more seem to give up or never try. The growing gap between what flows in and what goes out means UFAA’s custody keeps expanding. Billions of shillings that belong to real people just sit there, unclaimed year after year.
What You Can Do
If you have ever switched banks, left a job with unpaid dividends, or had a mobile money line go dormant, there is a chance some of that money is sitting with UFAA right now. The authority has an online portal. Checking takes a few minutes. Claiming takes paperwork and patience — but the alternative is leaving your own money in government custody forever.
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