The State Department for Diaspora Affairs (SDDA) has made significant progress in fulfilling its mandate of serving Kenyans living abroad with the recent move featuring the Mobile Consular Services (MCS) outreach program launched in 2022.

In a statement released on August 5, the Department revealed that as of August 2, 2024, it had reached the 20-month mark since its establishment in December 2022.

Additionally, the statement highlighted that the department was established following an executive order No.1 of 2022 and was tasked with the fulfilment of six mandates.

“It was later expanded through the Executive Order No. 2 of 2023 on the organization of Government functions and further added three more mandates to make it nine,” said the SDDA. 

“Since it was established, SDDA has achieved milestones that speak to its 9-point mandate, that seek to serve Kenyans living in the Diaspora.“

These nine mandates include:

1. Champion the Protection of the rights and promotion of the welfare and interests of Kenyans overseas.
2. Promote continuous dialogue with Kenyans abroad.
3. Support Kenyans in the diaspora in harnessing more opportunities for employment and enterprise development.
4. In liaison with other stakeholders promote the participation of Kenya’s diaspora in democratic processes in the country.
5. Develop Incentive framework for Diaspora Remittances.
6. Harness Diaspora savings, facilitate Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) and Technology transfers.
7. Liaison with the Ministry of Labour in implementation of the Labour Migration Policy as well as the Global Labour Strategy.
8. In conjunction with the Ministry of Labour, secure the placement of Kenyans abroad.
9. Mainstream the Kenyan Diaspora into the national development process.

Also Read: Frustration as Kenyans in Diaspora Experience eCitizen Outage

Plan to Highlight Key Milestones

To celebrate this achievement, the Department announced plans to highlight 20 key milestones over the next 20 days, starting this week.

“On 2nd August 2024, the State Department for Diaspora Affairs clocked 20 months and on that, we are highlighting 20 milestones to mark 20 months since inception,” reads part of the statement by SDDA.

“Starting this week, we will be highlighting one milestone per day.”

The first milestone featured is the Mobile Consular Services (MCS) outreach program, designed to bring essential consular services closer to Kenyans in the diaspora.

“The Mobile Consular Services (MCS) is a programme that takes consular services closer to Kenyans in the Diaspora.”

SDDA highlighted that since its launch in January 2023, the MCS program has successfully assisted over 30,000 Kenyans across more than 100 cities in 60 countries.

“Services offered during MCS include Application for new e-passports and renewal, application for identification cards, application for birth certificates, document attestation, marriage/letter of no Impediment, re-claiming of citizenship, dual citizenship, police clearance and emergency travel certificates.”

How to Apply for the Mobile Consular Services

To apply for MCS, Kenyans in the diaspora can follow these steps:

1. Visit the e-Citizen portal and fill out the necessary application forms for the desired service, ensuring you have the required documentation, photos, and originals.

Also Read: Kenyans in Diaspora Reveal Harassment by Customs Officials at JKIA

2. Check the MCS schedule to see if the service will be available in your city. The program is currently in Phase III, with recent visits to the USA, Turkey, China, and other countries.

3. Attend the MCS event in your city and present your completed application and supporting documents to the consular officers.

By taking advantage of the Mobile Consular Services, Kenyans in the diaspora can conveniently access essential government services, maintain their connection with Kenya, and contribute to the development of their home country.

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