Abstract
The enormous contribution of Kenyan Diaspora to Kenya’s economy is increasingly becoming a major area of attention to policy makers. The Diaspora contributes a significant percentage to the GDP from the financial remittances they send back home. They have also been instrumental in the promotion of trade, investment, tourism, education, employment and transfer of technology and expertise to Kenya. Over 75% of the Diaspora contribution comes from North America and Europe, leaving only 25% for the rest of the world. About 30% of Kenyan Diaspora lives in North America, 26% in Europe, 24% in Africa, 9% in Asia while 11% is unaccounted for in different parts of the world. Approximately 0.02% of Kenyans abroad lives in Southeast Asian (SEA) countries under the accreditation of the Kenya Mission in Bangkok, namely: Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. The contribution of Kenyan residents in the five SEA countries is minimal. In this research, factors which contributed to the low number of Kenyan Diaspora in the five SEA countries, and ways in which the number could be expanded were examined. Over 70% of respondents agreed that the British colonialism and colonial legacies in Kenya, long duration of weak economies of SEA, government policies and limited diplomacy, limited information on opportunities, tough immigration policies and visa conditions, and inadequate transport system are some of the factors for the low numbers of Kenyans in SEA countries. Relaxation of tough immigration policies and rigid visa conditions, improvement on transport system, establishment of more diplomatic Missions, signing of MoUs and agreements, and information dissemination on opportunities in the five SEA countries are some of the ways to increase the numbers of Kenyan Diaspora in these countries. The research findings will help Kenya Government to formulate effective Diaspora Policy.
Highlights
The number of Kenyan Diaspora is important in Kenya’s foreign policy focus because the Diaspora largely contributes to the economy of Kenya besides creating the anchor around which the sustainability of foreign relations is built
The number of Kenyans in the five Southeast Asian (SEA) countries, which are under the accreditation of the Kenya Mission in Bangkok, is considered very low compared to the number of Kenyans in other countries
76% (21) of the participants said that Kenyans, long before they were colonized in 19th C, did not have serious socio-political and economic interactions with the people of Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos or Myanmar
Summary
The number of Kenyan Diaspora is important in Kenya’s foreign policy focus because the Diaspora largely contributes to the economy of Kenya besides creating the anchor around which the sustainability of foreign relations is built. Kenyans in the United States and Europe contribute substantially to Kenya’s economy compared to those living in SEA countries (World Bank, 2012; Central Bank of Kenya, 2014). The Diaspora is instrumental in the transfer of technology and expertise, marketing Kenya for tourism, trade and investment. They invest in Kenya in various sectors of the economy such as land and housing, agriculture, education, energy, transport, healthcare, treasury bonds and numerous NGOs operating in the country (Lahneman, 2005; Ali, 2011; Lippoldt, 2012; KenInvest, 2014, Kenyan Diaspora Policy, 2014)
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