| Group: | Kenyan Australians |
| Population: | 13,832 (by birth)[1] 3,786 (by ancestry) |
| Region1: | Western Australia |
| Pop1: | 4,397 |
| Region2: | Victoria |
| Pop2: | 2,850 |
| Region3: | New South Wales |
| Pop3: | 2,764 |
| Region4: | Queensland |
| Pop4: | 2,062 |
| Languages: | EnglishSwahili KalenjinGujaratiKikuyuDinkaLuoLanguages of Kenya |
| Religions: | ChristianityIslamHinduismOther |
| Related: | African Australians, Ugandan Australians, Tanzanian Australians, South Sudanese Australians, Ethiopian Australians, Somali Australians |
Kenyan Australians are Australian citizens and residents of Kenyan origin and descent. They may be of indigenous African, European, or Indian heritage.[2]
Uncertainties about the future of colonial-run Kenya prompted many Kenyan-born settlers of both European and Indian backgrounds to migrate to other countries, including Australia. There are also many Swahili-speaking Kenyans of indigenous African ancestry.[2] The majority of such migrants had no difficulty getting work and settling into the Australian community.[2]
The majority of Kenyan Australians are skilled and educated, with 72.5% of the Kenyan-born aged 15 years and over possessing higher non-school qualifications, compared to 55.9% of the Australian population.[2]
The 2016 Census noted there are 17,652 Kenya-born people in Australia.[3] [2] About one in five Australians who claim Kenyan ancestry live in Sydney.[4]
The languages most commonly spoken at home by Kenyan-born Australians are English and Swahili, however Kikuyu, Luo, Kalenjin, Gujarati, Dinka and other languages are not uncommon.[2] Kikuyu is a Kenyan language spoken by over one hundred Australians at home, and Luo is also spoken by about one hundred Australians.[5]
About 5,000 Kenyan-born Australians speak a language indigenous to Africa at home.[6] Some of the over 10,700 Australian-born who speak an African language may also speak a language of Kenya.[6]
The 74 languages the Special Broadcasting Service broadcasts in includes Swahili and Dinka, both languages spoken by many Kenyan-born Australians.[7]