Kenya's Diaspora Policy 2024 Launched to Strengthen Engagement and Investment

The Kenyan government has officially launched the Kenya Diaspora Policy 2024, marking a significant step towards strengthening ties with its citizens living abroad and encouraging their contribution to national development . The comprehensive policy, unveiled on March 13, 2025, builds upon the foundation of the 2014 Diaspora Policy, aiming to realign and elevate the role of Kenyans in the diaspora .

Presided over by Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Musalia Mudavadi, the launch event highlighted the government's commitment to creating deliberate avenues for enhanced engagement with the diaspora . The policy outlines several key objectives, including facilitating diaspora savings, investments, remittances, and technology transfer . It also focuses on strengthening partnerships and collaborations with the diaspora community and enabling the placement of Kenyans in the international job market .  

Diaspora Affairs Principal Secretary Roseline Njogu emphasized that the policy aligns with the State Department's mandate to safeguard the rights, promote the welfare, and advance the interests of Kenyans living abroad . The policy is intended to provide a framework for a mutually beneficial relationship between the government and its diaspora, recognizing their vital role in the country's economic and social development .  

The government has also establisOn March 13, 2025, the Kenyan government officially launched the Kenya Diaspora Policy 2024—an ambitious framework designed to deepen engagement with Kenyans living overseas and to channel their skills, savings, and networks into national development. Building on the original 2014 policy, the updated strategy broadens the scope of diaspora involvement by focusing not only on remittances but also on investment facilitation, technology transfer, labour mobility, and advocacy for diaspora rights.

A Renewed Vision for Diaspora Engagement

Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Musalia Mudavadi, presided over the launch at a ceremony in Nairobi, underscoring the government’s commitment to treating its diaspora as strategic partners rather than passive senders of money. “This policy is a call to all Kenyans abroad to join hands with us in building the future of our nation,” Mudavadi stated. By formalizing diaspora channels under a clear policy umbrella, Kenya aims to leverage the diversity of its overseas communities—spanning North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and beyond—to drive innovation, trade, and social development back home.

Key Objectives of the Policy

The Kenya Diaspora Policy 2024 outlines several interlocking goals:

Savings and Investment: Establish easy-access instruments, including diaspora bonds and the Kenya Diaspora Investment Fund, to channel expatriate capital into priority sectors such as affordable housing, agribusiness, and renewable energy.

Remittances: Work with financial institutions and remittance service providers to lower transfer costs, improve speed, and introduce digital wallets tailored to the diaspora.

Technology and Skills Transfer: Facilitate short-term assignments, virtual mentorships, and partnerships between Kenyan universities and diaspora academics or industry experts.

Labour Mobility: Negotiate bilateral labour agreements that protect workers’ rights, streamline certification recognition, and open pathways for skilled Kenyans to access international job markets.

Advocacy and Welfare: Strengthen consular services, legal aid, and psychosocial support for Kenyans facing challenges abroad, ensuring their rights and welfare are safeguarded.

Institutional Framework and Implementation

To operationalize the policy, the government has established the State Department for Diaspora Affairs. Headed by Principal Secretary Roseline Njogu, the department is charged with coordinating diaspora initiatives across ministries, agencies and counties. Key units within the department include:

Diaspora Investment Facilitation Unit: Manages the Kenya Diaspora Investment Fund, curates project pipelines, and liaises with private sector partners to develop diaspora-friendly investment products.

Skills and Technology Transfer Unit: Coordinates exchanges between Kenyan institutions and diaspora professionals, organizing virtual workshops and placement programs.

Consular Services and Welfare Unit: Expands digital consular platforms for emergency assistance, legal support and community-based welfare networks.

The Kenya Diaspora Investment Fund

Central to the policy is the Kenya Diaspora Investment Fund—a pooled vehicle seeded with government matching grants and concessional loans from development partners. Through this fund, diaspora investors can co-finance projects in sectors as diverse as real estate, manufacturing, agritech and health infrastructure. The fund offers technical due diligence, risk mitigation mechanisms and graduated exit strategies to attract both seasoned and first-time investors.

Expected Benefits and Long-Term Impact

By integrating its diaspora into the national development agenda, Kenya stands to gain on multiple fronts:

Financial Flows: Beyond remittances—which already account for over 3 percent of GDP—diaspora investments can unlock large-scale capital for priority projects.

Human Capital: Reverse brain-drain initiatives and expertise networks can boost capacity in research, healthcare, digital innovation and vocational training.

Market Access: Diaspora entrepreneurs can act as bridges into foreign markets, facilitating export opportunities for Kenyan goods and services.

Cultural Diplomacy: An organized diaspora serves as effective cultural ambassadors, promoting Kenya’s tourism, arts and heritage on the global stage.

The Kenya Diaspora Policy 2024 represents a bold, comprehensive roadmap for mobilizing the talents, resources and networks of Kenyans abroad. By institutionalizing engagement through the State Department for Diaspora Affairs, creating investment vehicles like the Diaspora Investment Fund, and emphasizing skills transfer and welfare support, the government is laying the groundwork for a dynamic, two-way relationship with its diaspora.

As the policy rolls out through targeted programs and partnerships, it promises to transform the diaspora from passive remitters into proactive stakeholders in Kenya’s socio-economic journey, ensuring that every Kenyan—whether at home or abroad—has a stake in the nation’s future.