Kenya plans to hold a three-day Diaspora investment conference next month to discuss ways of tapping the lucrative Diaspora remittances which has increased in the recent past, a government official said on Wednesday.
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed said the Kenya
Diaspora Easter Investment Conference 2015 which will be held on March 25-27 will offer a unique opportunity for Kenya Diaspora, policymakers and private sector players a unique opportunity to build strong partnerships.
“The recently launched Kenya Diaspora Policy provides an overarching framework for mainstreaming the Kenya Diaspora into national development agenda,” Mohamed told members of the private sector sponsoring the conference in Nairobi.
She said the government will work with all Diaspora stakeholders for a win-win situation over a wide range of issues especially investment.
Mohamed said the government recognises the importance of Diaspora in national development and would do everything to have them on board.
She said she was glad that most local banks now have a Diaspora Banking Section that facilitates remittances and investments including real estate, which is a favourite of the Diaspora, and mutual funds.
“When I interact with Kenyans abroad they always express strong interest in investing back home and a desire to be involved in nation building. It is therefore important for us to work together to tap this potential and ultimately facilitating the Diaspora play a role in real development,” she said.
Mohamed said the 2015 conference will coincide with biennial Ambassadors Conference which will bring back home the 54 ambassadors representing Kenya across the globe for debriefing and further instructions.
Kenyan Diaspora is estimated at three million with majority being in the U.S, Canada, Britain, Germany, Scandinavia, Australia, South Africa and the Middle East. Remittances as per Central Bank of Kenya statistics stood at 1.43 billion U.S. dollars in 2014.
-coastweek.com
