This archive report was first published on 22 August 2019.
Kenya's government is seeking to tap into the billions of shillings sent home by Kenyans living abroad, with a review of its foreign policy aimed at attracting more investments from the diaspora.
Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Dr. Monica Juma said the move is also aimed at making Kenyans living and working abroad take up national roles at home, leveraging their skills and expertise to contribute to the country's development.
According to World Bank data, Kenyans abroad sent home Sh280 billion in 2018, a 39 percent growth compared to the previous year, with the increased diaspora remittances largely attributed to a growth in investment products by commercial banks targeting the Kenya diaspora community as well as cheaper means of sending money home.
Since 2015, diaspora inflows have been the country's top foreign exchange income earner ahead of income from tea and horticulture exports as well as tourism, with Kenya earning Sh157.36 billion from tourism, Sh153.68 billion from horticulture exports and Sh140.86 billion from tea sales last year.
Dr. Juma was speaking at the unveiling of a book titled Foreign Policy and Diplomacy by Boaz Mbaya, a former permanent secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and also served as Kenya’s ambassador to France and Ethiopia.
