Diaspora Kenyans to PS Njogu: Stop Engaging Cons to Represent Us
Kenyans living in the Diaspora have accused the Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Ministry of dealing with 'cons' based in Nairobi on matters concerning them.
In a heated discussion on Twitter between the Principal Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Roseline Njogu, and a group of Kenyans living overseas, the ministry was displayed in a bad light after it emerged that the government had nominated individuals who are not abroad to a technical committee to talk to the Capital Markets Authority on the subject of encouraging Diaspora Investment.
In a leaked memo, The Principal Secretary for Investment, Trade and Industry, Abubakar Hassan Abubakar, recognized individuals who were seconded by the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs to form a Technical Working Group to confer with the Kenya Markets Capital Authority on Diaspora Investment Strategies. These individuals purported to represent Kenyans in the Diaspora. The memo was circulating on Twitter and was labelled "Mobilizing Diaspora Remittances for Investments".
“Reference is made to the following letters from State Department for Foreign Affairs Ref. MOFA. DIAS/6/Vol.1 dated 27th March 2023, Kenya Investment Authority Ref. No. KenIvest/IP/11/1 dated 24th March 2023 and Capital Markets Authority Ref No. CMA/CONF/01 dated 24th March 2023 on the above subject matter. This State Department has constituted a Technical Working Group comprising of your nominees with the inclusion of two members from Kenya Diaspora Alliance and this State Department.” states the memo.
Kenyans in the Diaspora were outraged to discover that the government was implementing such a major plan without taking into account any of their views. They expressed distrust towards the various groups based in Nairobi claiming to be the Diaspora's representatives. Ms Margaret Rulhoff based in Germany questioned the legitimacy of the Kenya Diaspora Alliance to speak for the Diaspora without consulting anyone abroad. Additionally, she highlighted the gender disparity in the appointments which are not in line with the anticipations of those living overseas.
Former IEBC Commissioner, Dr Roselyn Akombe, now based in New York, USA, pointed out that it is “interesting that while Kenyans in the Diaspora have their own active organizations and leaders, the government chooses to work with some non-Diaspora based individuals of questionable repute. And expect that we will then channel our hard-earned money through such mechanisms.”