Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has expressed deep gratitude to the Kenyans in the Diaspora for their significant contributions to Kenya’s economic growth through remittances.
During a meeting with the Kenyan Diaspora in Namibia, Mudavadi emphasized that their efforts have been instrumental in stabilizing the Kenyan shilling against global currencies.
The Prime CS highlighted that statistics from money sent home by Kenyans living abroad have continued to grow, reaching a record Ksh 671 billion (US$4.19 billion) in 2023.
This has significantly boosted the country’s current account balance, especially amid declining export revenues.
“If we go into numbers, you have surpassed coffee, tea, and even our horticulture. Basically, Kenyans in the diaspora are very key in stabilizing the rate of the shilling against hard currencies. If Kenyans in the diaspora slightly slide from the trajectory we are in, then inflation can be a problem back home,” said Mudavadi.
He also highlighted the government’s ongoing efforts to define and adopt a new strategy to strengthen partnerships with the Kenyan Diaspora.
Mudavadi revealed that the government is now seriously considering the development of a diaspora bond.
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Mudavadi Calls on Kenyans in the Diaspora to Participate in Upcoming Diaspora Policy Paper
He noted that although the idea had been proposed earlier, the resource base had not yet reached the necessary threshold to make a strong impact if the bond was launched.
“But today the figures indicate that Kenya is now ripe for a diaspora bond, where you can help in investing in key infrastructure whether it is the roads, hospitals or institutions that matter and have a serious impact on the people,” he added.
The Prime Cabinet Secretary encouraged the Kenyan diaspora to actively participate in shaping the upcoming Diaspora Policy Paper, which will soon be presented in Parliament.
Mudavadi urged them to share their insights and proposals through Kenya’s High Commissions and embassies.
“We have had Kenya’s foreign policy sometimes on paper, but one thing has never quite happened is that it has never been owned by the people of Kenya directly since it has been the preserve of the executive.”
“We are in the process of now working on a sessional paper on Kenya’s foreign policy which we want to take to parliament so that Kenyans can debate and have a bigger say in what they believe should be their foreign policy,” said Mudavadi.
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Kenyans Living in Namibia Air Concerns
Kenyans living and working in Namibia have urged the government to expedite efforts to introduce direct flights between Nairobi and Windhoek.
They called for any protocol or security issues to be resolved swiftly through key negotiations between the two countries.
Led by their association’s chair, Dan Mule, they emphasized that direct flights would boost business and investment growth between Kenya and Namibia, significantly contributing to Kenya’s GDP.
“Direct flights will open many opportunities that remain untapped. When we have exports like tea coming direct from Kenya to Namibia, it is a sign of potential growth in our export market,” said Mule.
They also raised a number of concerns on the need for a more streamlined process for passport renewals, efficient and within a shorter time.
Mudavadi acknowledged the concerns raised as fundamental, stating, “We are ready to receive them once consolidated into what you believe should be part of Kenya’s foreign policy moving forward, so we can start a new chapter, along with other issues you’ve raised.”
He urged the Kenyan Diaspora in Namibia to continue supporting the government’s agenda aimed at strengthening the working ties between the government and the diaspora community in various spheres of livelihood.
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