Proposal for Diaspora MP to Represent Kenyans Abroad Presented to BBI
Saboti MP Caleb Hamisi has proposed the creation of a diaspora Member of Parliament position.
In his memorandum to the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) task force, which was formed after the handshake between President Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga, Hamisi says the role of the occupant of the diaspora MP seat would be to push for the interests of Kenyans living and working abroad.
Hamisi says the diaspora MP would help address key issues affecting Kenyans abroad such as visas, consular services, forced labor and kidnapping among others.
He wants Parliament to enact legislation to determine the eligibility of persons vying to represent about three million Kenyans living in the diaspora.
Hamisi wants Kenya to follow the route taken by other countries including France, Iraq, Algeria, Cape Verde, South Africa, and Mozambique, who have diaspora MPs.
For instance, as at 2015, France had 12 out of 300 MPs representing its diaspora population, Iraq has 10 out of 300 MPs, Algeria and Cape Verde have six each while South Africa and Mozambique have two each.
Other countries such as India, Nigeria, Georgia, Togo, and Senegal have a diaspora ministry separate from the foreign affairs ministry.
Hamisi will verbally present his proposal at a BBI taskforce forum at Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi on Thursday.
A bulk of Kenyan diaspora population (600,000) is based in the United States, 300,000 in the United Kingdom, about 200,000 in Canada, 100,000 in the United Arab Emirates and 800,000 in both South Africa and Sudan. Others are scattered in other countries across the six continents.
Comments (9)
This is the better way to get represented in this part of the world where Diasporas go through many different life huddles while changeling deportation and discrimination at all places of lives. Leave alone back home issues where relatives ponders on how to milk you further.
I have come across graduated Diasporas who still works odd jobs just to make end meets without any guidance whatsoever.
Surely its time for irrespective Governments to take charge of they people instead of just enjoying only the remittances.
useless idea and DOA. These people think just coz they loot like they want to Kenya is a 1st world country, useless Mafi Ya Kuku greedy fools.
That US number is way overstated. More importantly does Kenya need one more useless individual whose sole goal will be useless junkets abroad on the taxpayer dime or in this case, shilling.
When you go to Rome act like the Romans still expecting a handout from your government is selfish and immature.Create yet another ministry so that yet another mpig can eat so who will pay the salaries diasporians or the Kenyan taxpayer
Long overdue.The MP diaspora should be elected by diaspora.Diaspira is such abig economic, and intellectual block to be ignored anymore.
If such an advice opens,ihope that the staff will also be diaspora familiar with efficiency we demand.And hopefully not corrupt .
so if i live in France how will mp benefit me if they are located in Russia. diaspora could also mean Tanzania. this is useless idea
Nonsense ideas from uneducated nonsense leaders???Do americans have an mpig in kenya n all over the world??What we want us strong institutions which is working whether mkenya halisi or maxiley is the president?Hizi maunjinga zingine ni masheteni kabisa.We also want lean gavament representation to b less???Numbers of mpigs to b 47 like counties.Erase all nominated seats?Lets bring back leader of opposition t b in parliament give him/her office n fund it well.Cabinents ministers to b 47 representing all the tribes or counties.Get ride of majority of commissions n ministries.Introduce hang or death or we chop off hands n legs when found stealing public monies.Build appartments fir this leaders so we don't have to give the house allowances.Get rid of healthissurance from thisidiots leaders n let them use nhif like us.N many more.
We have people who are always at the forefront in complaining about how misrepresented they are but when an idea of having a representative comes up,they are also quick to water it down, jumping to conclusions as if they know everything. Now this is still at the proposal phase, let people deliberate, lend your voice so that you don't feel left out if you have anything important that will see the success of this process. The fact is, this is the fact step for people in the diaspora to have real representation in the Kenyan law-making process. Diaspoans are always dismissed and forgotten when any other issues apart from money/remittances arise. We are only good when we make short visits to inspect projects back home and leave immediately. We clamour for news back home which is what all of us here on Mwakilishi are doing today because even though we feel the alienation, we still love and care for our country. To most Kenyans still living in Kenya, despite all the sacrifices diasporans make to improve the lives of their immediate families and Kenyans in general, diasporans will be basically seen as (Regardless of where you work) "those who do "low menial jobs" to survive". But they forget the remittances that emanate from what they consider as "low jobs". My only concern is the way Kenyans have chosen to divide themselves in to tribal groups even in Diaspora. And you wonder if a unifying leader will efficiently and effectively be elected.
steal from those Kenyans there.we struggle here end we don,t need representation