Parliament to question IEBC over failure to register Kenyans abroad

Nairobi, Kenya: Elgeyo Marakwet Senator, Hon Kipchumba Murkonen, has said the Legal Affairs Committees of the Senate and the National Assembly will at the beginning of the new year summon IEBC to explain why they have not yet started registering the Diaspora as provided for in the constitution and upheld by the Court of Appeal two months ago.

Senator Murkonen was speaking at the Daystar University yesterday during a Diaspora networking event organized by a Kenya Diaspora Alliance (KDA), a Federation of over thirty welfare, cultural, religious, political, philanthropic, educational, professional, and business organizations with an estimated membership of 250,000 Kenyans across the globe. A member of the Senate Speaker’s Panel, Mr Murkonen represented the Chief Guest, Hon David Ekwe Ethuro.

Over 200 Kenyan Diasporans from over 20 different countries including US, UK, UAE and South Africa attended the event. Thousands others followed the event through livestream.

The event code-named Kenya Diaspora Networking Convention (KDNC), was organized to create an opportunity for Kenyan Diaspora currently in the country for Christmas festivities to meet with key government officials and private corporate, to articulate issues close to their hearts such as voting, representation, security, jobs and investment opportunities.

Talking on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, the Director of Diaspora and Consular Affairs, Mr Washington Oloo announced that the Kenya’s Diaspora draft policy has been ratified by the Cabinet and plans are underway to launch it soon and to intensify Diaspora engagement.

The Director said: ‘The government is committed to working with all Diaspora organizations and individuals who want to contribute to the development of thiscountry. I encourage all Diaspora organisations and individuals to take part in events like these to help deepen communication between my office and Kenyans in diaspora.

The theme of the one day convention was Diaspora Investments and Youth Employment: Engage, Empower, and Invest. The convention was sponsored by various private firms including Rafiki Microfinance Bank, VSO Jitolee, Longonot Gate Development Ltd, Alexander Forbes, Crescent Takaful SACCO, Oracom Kenya Web Solutions, Kenya Experts (EU), OldMutual, and Diaspora Investment Club.

Other speakers at the Convention included H.E. Waithaka Mwangi (Deputy Governor, Nyandarua County), Prof. Noah Midamba (Vice Chancellor, KCA University), Ms Mary Kimonye (Managing Director, Brand Kenya), Dr Moses Ikiara (Managing Director, KenInvest), Prof. PLO Lumumba (Director, Kenya School of Law), Mr Sundeep Raichura (Managing Director, Alexander Forbes), Mr James Oduor (Managing Director, National Drought Management Authority), and Dr. David Otuoma (Chief Science Secretary, NACOSTI), among others. The Convention was entertained by Umoja Talanta – African Percussion and Acrobatics.

Talking on behalf of the organizers, the KDA Chairman, Dr Shem Ochuodho, implored the government to hasten passage of laws and programs to empower and mainstream Diaspora, including clarity on dual citizenship, representation, security of investments, and importation of cars for returnees from right-hand driven jurisdictions. He impressed upon IEBC to expedite the early registration of Diaspora as voters in the 2017 elections. Though IEBC has appealed the Appeal Court ruling which is now expected to be heard early next year, the Supreme Court has not granted them stay of the ruling.

Mr Juma Kent, an International Basketball Referee (FIBA) and a previous Sports Personality of the Year (SOYA), rooted for leveraging sport and culture to empower Diaspora and youth, and vice versa, given Kenya’s world acclaimed prowess in athletics, rugby, volley ball, among others. Presenting the convention’s outcome statement, Dr. Eliab Seroney Some, Interim President, Association of Kenyans in Pakistan, recognized:-

(1) The Government’s duty to engage and facilitate its citizens not only in the country but also in the Diaspora, estimated at three million, as stipulated in the 2010 Constitution of Kenya with regard to right to development including the right to vote and the right to dual citizenship to all its citizens living abroad.

(2) The urgent need to strategically engage and mainstream the Kenyan Diaspora into national development to achieve Kenya Vision 2030 of a globally competitive and prosperous Kenya by the year 2030.

(3) The huge and untapped potential of Kenyan Diaspora to contribute to the growth of our economy as indicated by remittances that now averages US$ 2 billion a year (nearly equal to the annual national budget), and standing at 2.98% of the GDP in 2013.

(4) The urgent need to translate the following legal and policy frameworks into actions with equitable, accelerated and sustainable development results at national and county levels of Government:

(i) Presidential Circular No. 1 of 2008 that established the Directorate of Diaspora Affairs within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade;

(ii) Kenyan Foreign Policy with Diaspora Diplomacy as one of the five key pillars;

(iii) Diaspora Policy with key interventions as curbing high cost of remittances, improving consular services to address Diaspora issues, using the Kenyan Diaspora to promote tourism, tapping into Diaspora talents to reverse brain drain, and designing a system of collection of data on Diaspora profiles.

A follow-up major Diaspora event ‘Kenya Diaspora Homecoming Conference’ is scheduled to take place during the Easter break in March 2015 in the country, to coincide with the Ambassador’s Bi-Annual Conference.