By Joseph Lister Nyaringo

The significant contribution made by Kenyans living abroad to spur the country’s economy is a glaring fact that cannot be whitewashed.

According to the latest Central Bank of Kenya data, the Diaspora remitted Kshs48.1b in March 2023.

This posted an increase of 16% growth from Kshs41.7b reported in the previous month. Kenyans domiciled in the US accounted for 58%; making the country the highest source of remittances to Kenya.

This demonstration gives the Diaspora a vantage position as one of the key tentacles of Kenya’s economic development. Therefore, to be accorded opportunities or recognition by any existing Kenyan government is a right, and not a privilege.

Many African governments are tapping their Diaspora for nation-building as well as putting up mechanisms that enhance their welfare. It’s regrettable that the Kenyan Diaspora is given a raw deal by the government. This is either due to negligence, or failure to recognize or respect the immense role the external constituency plays to boost development in the country.  

The announcement by President William Ruto on the government’s plan to make deductions out of Diaspora remittances towards the Housing Fund has added insult to injury. If this is not a form of double taxation, then it lacks a better name.

It must be observed that during last year’s Presidential campaigns, President Ruto made a raft of promises to the Diaspora which catapulted his support base thereby surpassing the Orange Democratic Movement-ODM leader Raila Odinga, who for many years held the Diaspora as his bastion.

The creation of the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs currently headed by Dr. Alfred Mutua is laudable. However, the Diaspora expected the docket to be headed by one of their own as promised by Ruto during the campaigns --- a trend similar to Israel and India. 

A section of the Diaspora, especially in the United States has expressed their misgivings on the choice of Dr. Mutua to head a sensitive docket. They say Mutua is aloof, detached and eccentric. His persona disqualifies him as Kenya’s chief diplomat.

“After interacting with Mutua, during a recent visit to the US, I discovered that he is grossly opinionated, off and an introvert. He lacks the charm often exhibited by his boss - President Ruto when engaging Kenyans at home and abroad. We want a CS who values the opinions of others.” Says Cosmas Choi, the UDA Social Media influencer in the US.

If President Ruto’s government cared about competency in public service, there is no way he could’ve appointed honourable Aisha Jumwa to a Ministerial docket. Rewarding political loyalty by compromising professionalism is a poor way to develop a nation.

After acknowledging in State House recently that some of the senior officers in his government are incompetent, we expect the President to take the lead and prune incompetent State officers. He should have them replaced to pave the way for meritocracy and professionalism in government.

Dr. Frankline Onchiri, currently based in the US, had this to say: “We love our country and we would want to apply our knowledge and skills to serve. However, it demeans the utility of specialized skills when people with mediocre education, earn Kshs.1 million (USD 10,000) per month while doctors who have spent many years in lecture halls are locked up for demanding for fair remuneration.”

We have great doctors, engineers, modern technology gurus, economists et cetera currently working abroad. The country desperately needs their service. We are tired of going to India and Europe for medical treatment. We are tired of employing the Chinese to build our roads and even bring in Cuban doctors to serve in our hospitals.

While the West is aggressive in admitting immigrants with diverse skills, Kenya is aggressively disincentivizing its professionals. The influx of Kenyan medics to the Western Hemisphere for greener pastures is quite alarming. Brain drain is killing Kenya.

A government that rewards mediocrity makes its society remain stagnant. Furthermore, if the same government fails to acknowledge its best brains, it fails in politics, in leadership, the economy, in education, and research.

President Ruto who is barely one year in office should honour the promises he made to the Diaspora. Whilst the views expressed here are geared towards Diaspora interests, qualified Kenyans at the home front should equally be considered for jobs. After all, we want a country that respects meritocracy, professionalism, and inclusivity in public affairs.

If the government fails to utilize the knowledge and skills acquired by the Diaspora abroad to boost Kenya, it will end up benefiting the regions where these Kenyans are domiciled.

Despite some African governments pushing for mechanisms that perpetuate Diaspora interests, the Kenyan situation isn’t promising at all.

It is noteworthy that the 2010 Constitution provides safeguards for the Diaspora to vote. However, the governments of the late President Kibaki, and retired President Uhuru Kenyatta and the electoral body have not done enough in this digital age to make this “right” a full-fledged democratic undertaking.

In 2014, while addressing Kenyans in New York City, former President Kenyatta authorized the government to allow Kenyans in the Diaspora import vehicles duty-free. Indeed, this was a sigh of relief to many. Discouragingly, no follow-up was made; no mechanism was put in place by the Kenya Revenue Authority- KRA to implement this promise that could have benefitted the Diaspora.

It’s high time politicians stopped using the Diaspora during the campaigns only to dump them after elections.

Ms Hellen Onyango from Pennsylvania poses this question: “Why should we host political leaders in beautiful town halls, book them in expensive hotels and even shower them with gifts but, before landing in Kenya, they’ve forgotten everything they promised.”

The Diaspora has seen it all. The leaders they host will barely remember them or even recognize their faces when they visit their offices in Kenya.

During the Presidential campaigns, President Ruto scored highly for coming up with a raft of proposals to enhance Diaspora interests. This is despite being viewed as “a Johnny comes lately” as far as Diaspora affairs are concerned compared to his opponent in the Azimio coalition-Raila Odinga, whose support in the Diaspora has been steady for more than a decade

The Kenyan Diaspora in the US did their best during the Ruto campaign. From Boston, Massachusetts, to Atlanta, Georgia, to Washington DC, they burnt the midnight oil to mobilize resources and craft a winning strategy for the Kenya Kwanza coalition.

Some members of the Kenyan Diaspora view Ruto’s robust approach as a break from the past leadership as far as managing the affairs of the country is concerned.

A Kenyan scholar from Washington DC who is also a friend of Ruto, Prof Charles Choti, believes that the President’s agenda for Kenya is superb. If implemented effectively, it will transform the country. Dr. Choti, is hopeful that there is a likelihood of the current leadership positioning Kenya to the level of the Asian Tigers.

On criticism about skewed government appointments in the civil service, Dr. Choti observes that merit and professionalism should suffice or take precedence. He opines that the president enjoys the prerogative to pick the team he can easily work with to actualize his agenda.  

All hope is not lost. The Diaspora yearns to feature in all segments of representation- Cabinet, parastatal, academia, diplomatic corps, and other critical positions to enhance inclusivity and the ultimate success of our nation.  This is a sure way to appreciate the unsurpassed contribution of the external constituency. 

Nyaringo is the president of the Kenya Patriotic Movement, a Diaspora lobby based in the US