President William Ruto’s inaugural speech promise to elevate the diaspora to be its own country and create a cabinet-level position is wildly popular among Kenyans abroad.
“I voted for Raila, but he [Ruto] won me over when he said that. We need a Ministry of Diaspora Affairs that would cater to our needs and a representative who will talk to the government on our behalf,” Samuel, a Los Angeles, California resident, who only gave his first name, said.
Samuel said he hoped Ruto would appoint people with diaspora experience to head the ministry and not hand it to his cronies.
“Who he appoints as the CS is very important, and we’re watching. I hope he brings in one of us, somebody who has lived in the diaspora. US, Europe, or the Middle East,” Samuel said. “It would be a big mistake if he uses the position to reward his friends.”
In his September 13th inaugural speech, Ruto said the following in response to pleas from Kenyans in the diaspora.
We have elevated our diaspora to be the 48th County. The complaint has been that the diaspora has not received the attention they deserve. The focus has been on remittances, while their fundamental rights as citizens have been neglected. To correct this oversight, I pledge to:
- Elevate diaspora issues at a ministry level.
- Strengthen diaspora services in all embassies.
- Work with parliament to set up a committee that
- will exclusively deal with diaspora issues.
- Set up a mechanism for public participation by the Diaspora.
- Work closely with the IEBC to expand and enhance diaspora participation in elections.
“I like the fact that he recognized we’re more than just ATMs,” Sarah, a Sacramento resident who also preferred to use only her first name, said.
Sarah was, however, skeptical about how Ruto was planning to implement the promise. She said creating the new government ministry needs diligence to ensure proper allocation of funds and a clearly defined role so it does not duplicate the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“He did not give us a timeline or tell us how he plans to do this. I hope this is not an empty promise like the laptops,” Sarah said.
The excitement was palpable in several diaspora Whatapp chatrooms.
Talks of who should be the Cabinet Secretary of the ministry are popping up everywhere, with some appearing to be lobbying for the position.
Besides offering a cabinet position, Ruto said, “we have elevated our diaspora to be the 48th County.” The statement has been met with excitement and confusion. Some have interpreted it to mean the diaspora would have representatives in parliament, while others see it as an impractical promise considering the vastness of the diaspora.
One way of making this happen right away is by nominating two diaspora representatives in parliament, Paul Radido, a New York resident, said.
Radido said having a representative now would give the diaspora a presence in parliament and help to shape the debate on how Kenyans abroad can participate in the economy beyond just sending remittances.
Julia, from Dallas, Texas, said Ruto’s call was long overdue and shows he cares about the diaspora more than the previous government.
She called for the Ruto government to strengthen laws and make it illegal to defraud diaspora investors.
“I hope this ministry will give us a way to protect our investments back home and make it easier for us to buy assets such as land with a clean title,” Julia said.
Ruto also promised to expand diaspora voting, granting a significant item in the diaspora organizations’ wish list.
Diasporans were only allowed to vote for presidential candidates in the last election. It’s unclear whether Ruto’s new directive would allow Kenyans abroad to vote for all elective positions.
Few diasporans registered to vote in the last elections because registration was limited to areas with Kenyan embassies and consulate offices.
Ruto said: [We will] work closely with the IEBC to expand and enhance diaspora participation in elections.
With the new directive, Brenda, who only wanted to use her first name, said she is hoping Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission [IEBC] would put in place online voter registration and voting for Kenyans who reside far away from the Embassies and consulate offices.