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| Uhuru Kenyatta and the First Lady Margaret Kenyatta in London |
I
recently held a hearty discussion with fellow Kenyan diasporans about
the tonnes of investment opportunities back home and asked them if they
had any existing investments or interests.
From one to
the other, the response was same; No! Upon further inquiry, the common
response was related to horror stories of swindling and the buck always
stopped with the government.
The main question they
asked me was: “Why should I invest in the country if even the government
does not recognise me as a Kenyan and does not acknowledge my
constitutional right to vote? I would rather just send some money to the
family, then invest elsewhere – here in the US or other developing
countries like Rwanda.”
The diaspora is the fourth
highest income earner for the country. It could easily be the highest if
the government moved to rebuild relations with the 48th county after
decades of sidelining it.
The diaspora’s right to vote
is the greatest concern at the moment, as it is a right enshrined in the
Constitution. There are still fresh wounds after the IEBC used the term
“progressive” in the Constitution to register only 3,000 out of
approximately three million diaspora voters, of whom only about 1,000
(.03 per cent) voted in the last election. There is nothing progressive
about that.
Another key area of concern is engagement
between the foreign missions and diaspora communities. Relationships
have been at an all-time low, with the majority in the diaspora
dissatisfied with treatment meted out by many embassy staff, as well as a
perceived lack of interest in matters involving the same communities,
such as a rise in suicides, domestic violence leading to death, and
other such problems. This outreach role is being left to local deejays,
promoters and community pastors.
A third high-level
area of interest is investment in Kenya, and this seems to be the main
one the government is focusing on while ignoring the other two.
Sadly, asking for investment from oppressed citizens is akin to slapping someone, then asking her to dance with you.
Over
half a year ago, at a London meeting, the President described the
diaspora as his 48th and richest county. He guaranteed us voting rights
in the next elections, and as we enter 2014, we in the diaspora believe
the President has an interest in and concern for the diaspora, but they
have little faith that the greater administration shares the same
interest.
One year into the new administration, we have
a new Foreign Affairs Cabinet secretary who is yet to formally tour the
diaspora to meet the communities.
The closest the
diaspora has been towards any government acknowledgement is the creation
of a diaspora representative role in the Office of the President, only
that the post was awarded to an individual who has never lived in the
diaspora, and who is clueless about its interests.
Instead,
he spends most of his time on social media fighting unrelated battles.
Because such individuals are the face of government, their actions are
what we in the diaspora are using to judge the new administration.
As
with most incoming administrations, there is a transitional period in
which the new government is getting adjusted and acquainted with
day-to-day operations.
It would have, therefore, been
more effective to appoint a diaspora advisory transition team in the
Office of the President that can serve as a think-tank to identify key
diaspora interests, needs and ways to cross-engage.
Mr
Kerre is a New York City-based co-convener of the Kenya Diaspora
Alliance as head of Aktive Advocacy Group. He is also a cyber-security
expert. (pkerre@gmail.com)
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