President Ruto needs to do more for Kenyan Diaspora

President Ruto needs to do more for Kenyan Diaspora

By Joseph Lister Nyaringo

The significant contribution made by Kenyans living abroad to spur the country’s economy is a glaring fact that cannot be whitewashed. According to the latest Central Bank of Kenya data, the Diaspora remitted Kshs. 48.1 billion in March 2023.

This posted an increase of 16% growth from Kshs. 41.7 billion were reported in the previous month. Kenyans domiciled in the US accounted for 58%; making the country the highest source of remittances to Kenya.

This demonstration gives the Diaspora a vantage position as one of the key tentacles of Kenya’s economic development. Therefore, to be accorded opportunities or recognition by any existing Kenyan government is a right, and not a privilege.

Many African governments are tapping their Diaspora for nation-building as well as putting up mechanisms that enhance their welfare. It’s regrettable that the Kenyan Diaspora is given a raw deal by the government. This is either due to negligence, or failure to recognize or respect the immense role the external constituency plays to boost development in the country.  

The announcement by President William Ruto on the government’s plan to make deductions out of Diaspora remittances towards the Housing Fund has added insult to injury. If this is not a form of double taxation, then it lacks a better name.

It must be observed that during last year’s Presidential campaigns, President Ruto Made a raft of promises to the Diaspora which catapulted his support base thereby surpassing the Orange Democratic Movement-ODM leader Raila Odinga, who for many years held the Diaspora as his bastion.

The creation of the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs currently headed by Dr. Alfred Mutua is laudable. However, the Diaspora expected the docket to be headed by one of their own as promised by Ruto during the campaigns --- a trend similar to Israel and India. 

A section of the Diaspora especially in the United States has expressed their misgivings on the choice of Dr. Mutua to head a sensitive docket. They say Mutua is aloof, detached and eccentric. His persona disqualifies him as Kenya’s chief diplomat.

“After interacting with Mutua, during a recent visit to the US, I discovered that he is grossly opinionated, off and an introvert. He lacks the charm often exhibited by his boss-President Ruto when engaging Kenyans at home and abroad. We want a CS who values the opinions of others.” Says Cosmas Choi, the UDA Social Media influencer in the US.

If President Ruto’s government cared about competency in public service, there is no way he could’ve appointed honourable Aisha Jumwa to a Ministerial docket. Rewarding political loyalty by compromising professionalism is a poor way to develop a nation.

After acknowledging in State House recently that some of the senior officers in his government are incompetent, we expect the President to take the lead and prune incompetent State officers. He should have them replaced to pave the way for meritocracy and professionalism in government.

Dr. Frankline Onchiri, currently based in the US, had this to say: “We love our country and we would want to apply our knowledge and skills to serve. However, it demeans the utility of specialized skills when people with mediocre education, earn Kshs. 1 million (USD 10,000) per month while doctors who have spent many years in lecture halls are locked up for demandingfair remuneration.”

We have great doctors, engineers, modern technology gurus, economists et cetera currently working abroad. The country desperately needs their service. We are tired of going to India and Europe for medical treatment. We are tired of employing the Chinese to build our roads and even bring in Cuban doctors to serve in our hospitals.

While the West is aggressive in admitting immigrants with diverse skills, Kenya is aggressively disincentivizing its professionals. The influx of Kenyan medics to the Western Hemisphere for greener pastures is quite alarming. Brain drain is killing Kenya.

A government that rewards mediocrity makes its society remain stagnant. Furthermore, if the same government fails to acknowledge its best brains, it fails in politics, in leadership, the economy, education, and research.

President Ruto who is barely one year in office should honour the promises he made to the Diaspora. Whilst the views expressed here are geared towards Diaspora interests, qualified Kenyans at the home front should equally be considered for jobs. After all, we want a country that respects meritocracy, professionalism, and inclusivity in public affairs.

If the government fails to utilize the knowledge and skills acquired by the Diaspora abroad to boost Kenya, it will end up benefiting the regions where these Kenyans are domiciled.

Despite some African governments pushing for mechanisms that perpetuate Diaspora interests, the Kenyan situation isn’t promising at all.

It is noteworthy that the 2010 Constitution provides safeguards for the Diaspora to vote. However, the governments of the late President Kibaki, and retired President Uhuru Kenyatta and the electoral body have not done enough in this digital age to make this “right” a full-fledged democratic undertaking.

In 2014, while addressing Kenyans in New York City, former President Kenyatta authorized the government to allow Kenyans in the Diaspora import vehicles duty-free. Indeed, this was a sigh of relief to many. Discouragingly, no follow-up was made; no mechanism was put in place by the Kenya Revenue Authority- KRA to implement this promise that could have benefitted the Diaspora.

It’s high time politicians stopped using the Diaspora during the campaigns only to dump them after elections.

Ms Hellen Onyango from Pennsylvania poses this question: “Why should we host political leaders in beautiful town halls, book them in expensive hotels and even shower them with gifts but, before landing in Kenya, they’ve forgotten everything they promised.”

The Diaspora has seen it all. The leaders they host will barely remember them or even recognize their faces when they visit their offices in Kenya.

During the Presidential campaigns, President Ruto scored highly for coming up with a raft of proposals to enhance Diaspora interests. This is despite being viewed as “a Johnny comes lately” as far as Diaspora affairs are concerned compared to his opponent in the Azimio coalition-Raila Odinga, whose support in the Diaspora has been steady for more than a decade

The Kenyan Diaspora in the US did their best during the Ruto campaign. From Boston, Massachusetts, to Atlanta, Georgia, to Washington DC, they burnt the midnight oil to mobilize resources and craft a winning strategy for the Kenya Kwanza coalition.

Some members of the Kenyan Diaspora view Ruto’s robust approach as a break from the past leadership as far as managing the affairs of the country is concerned.

A Kenyan scholar from Washington DC who is also a friend of Ruto, Prof Charles Choti, believes that the President’s agenda for Kenya is superb. If implemented effectively, it will transform the country. Dr. Choti, is hopeful that there is a likelihood of the current leadership positioning Kenya to the level of the Asian Tigers.

On criticism about skewed government appointments in the civil service, Dr. Choti observes that merit and professionalism should suffice or take precedence. He opines that the president enjoys the prerogative to pick the team he can easily work with to actualize his agenda.  

All hope is not lost. The Diaspora yearns to feature in all segments of representation- Cabinet, parastatal, academia, diplomatic corps, and other critical positions to enhance inclusivity and the ultimate success of our nation.  This is a sure way to appreciate the unsurpassed contribution of the external constituency. 

Nyaringo is the president of the Kenya Patriotic Movement, a Diaspora lobby based in the US

 

The US ambassador to Kenya needs to be impartial to the country’s politics

By Joseph Lister Nyaringo

A diplomat representing the most powerful nation on earth isn’t just an ordinary individual. What she says or the position she takes carries a lot of weight and meaning.

In international diplomacy, neutrality, and impartiality are key ingredients. This is for the purpose of ensuring fairness and balance to avert social and political conflicts, civil strife, violence, or general misunderstanding between two countries or parties.

No society can resolve its challenges without applying diplomacy. Effective diplomacy, therefore, grants warring parties the solid foundation to negotiate through openness to get out of a stalemate.

There is no country in the globe that has tried to influence many nations with its cultural philosophies in many facets like the United States of America. It’s always at the frontline on human rights, fair economic policies, better political leadership, good governance, and protecting the vulnerable.

Ambassador Margaret Cushing Whitman, who is the 17^th US ambassador to Kenya, suffered a blow last week from the Azimio Coalition leader Raila Odinga. The opposition leader warned her to keep off Kenya’s internal affairs.

This happened in Uasin Gishu County, Eldoret while addressing the 10^th devolution symposium. The Ambassador had earlier on made a comment about last year’s presidential election which sounded unsavoury to the Azimio Coalition.

Kenya is still divided, after last year’s election. That’s why the Church and the International community rooted for bipartisan talks to restore tranquility by stopping demonstrations that culminated in the loss of innocent lives under the brutal force of the police.

The country has been torn asunder between the ruling Kenya Kwanza Coalition led by President William Ruto and the Azimio Coalition, led by Odinga. Supporters of Odinga, believe that President Ruto didn’t fairly win the Presidency last year.

Therefore the US ambassador’s declaration in Eldoret that last year’s presidential election was the fairest in the country is a slap on the faces of those who don’t believe so.

Azimio further argues that the US Ambassador has taken a partisan position on an emotive issue, which is likely to polarize the country, reflect the opposition in a bad light before the world and even jeopardize the ongoing bipartisan talks.

It must be remembered that the United States is not like any ordinary country. When her diplomat speaks, she represents the country’s power, and position. When the Ambassador speaks, it’s the US President Joe Biden, speaking.

To safeguard proper diplomacy, the Ambassador should act as a neutral arbiter and be impartial in her public pronouncements. Like some of her predecessors, she should invoke good governance, justice, freedom, and respect for human rights, and above all, reflect the true spirit of the US in Kenya.

Ambassador Whitman should be the last person to whitewash the reasons why Kenyans demonstrated recently against the current government.

The World hasn’t forgotten how former President Donald Trump, paralyzed the US capitol through an illegal insurrection.

I would like to challenge the US Ambassador to tell Kenyans if the Washington DC police senselessly gunned down demonstrators who raided the US capitol following the Presidential election outcome which President Biden won.

The World saw. Despite some violent protestors, law enforcement in DC handled protestors with humanity and professionalism. This is what we expect the ambassador to tell President William Ruto and his Interior Cabinet Secretary who is in charge of Security, Professor Kithure Kindiki.

Ambassador Whitman has a rich resume in public life. As a corporate guru and member of the Republican Party, she is a moderate who detests racism, xenophobia, and dictatorship. That’s why she broke away from her party and supported Hillary Clinton (a Democrat) for the Presidency against her party candidate, Donald Trump. In fact, she compared former President Trump as a candidate to Adolf Hitler.

This is a clear demonstration that the Ambassador values social justice and hates dictatorship.

The Nairobi diplomatic post is a high-voltage station for the US. As a key post in the Horn of Africa, and given the political tension and insecurity in the region, it requires a career diplomat who is well-versed in geopolitics, conflict resolution, peacebuilding, and nurturing cohesiveness in a polarized political environment.

In retrospect, just like Ambassador Whitman, her predecessor Kyle MacCarter was a political appointee with no diplomatic experience. One wonders why in the last decade, the US has been posting ambassadors to Kenya who are not career diplomats.

Aggressive Ambassadors

Diplomats from advanced democracies have over the years openly supported Kenya’s struggle for democracy, social justice, and good governance. A couple of them fought alongside Kenyans for the re-introduction of multiparty politics in 1991.

The big question for Ambassador Whitman is this: Why not take a firm position like the 9^th US ambassador to Kenya, Smith Hempstone who took no prisoners during the reign of the late President Daniel Moi?

The government excesses that Hempstone confronted like dictatorship, injustice, corruption, and looting are still at a crescendo.

The country desperately needs a US diplomat who will take the bull by the horns voraciously by challenging the status quo. Kenyans miss former British ambassador Sir Edward Clay of “vomiting on our shoes” fame and former German Ambassador, Berndt Mutzelburg. The Three never spared the “big fish.”

The US is Kenya’s big brother in the West. During the clamour for multiparty democracy in 1990, Ambassador Hempstone teamed with his German counterpart-Mutzelburg to openly support the “young Turks” like James Orengo, Paul Muite, Raila Odinga, Gitobu Imanyara, etc. to fight for political pluralism.

US Investment

The majority of Kenyans at home and abroad are comfortable seeing the US helping Kenya to nurture good governance and economic prosperity. They view President Ruto’s leanings towards Western powers as a positive step with far-reaching benefits for Kenya.

Despite the US Ambassador’s comment which sounded unpalatable to the political opposition, Kenyans think that the US government led by Joe Biden has a good agenda for Kenya.  

The country is the largest economy in East and Central Africa, but corruption has slowed its growth. Poverty has increased, and some development projects have stalled the delivery of essential services to the citizens are in ruins. Other negative indicators which have stifled Kenya’s growth are over-borrowing, corruption, and money laundering.

“I trust the US as opposed to China which is primarily for self-economic enrichment in Kenya and other African countries. The US loves Kenya and wants the best for her people.” Says Peter Nyandega, a Kenyan businessman in New Jersey.

As the adage goes, the borrower is a slave to the lender. Over-borrowing from China has its demerits. In Sri Lanka, the country was forced to give up its two ports to the Asian giant, as a result of failing to service her loans. What will remain of Kenya if China claims the Port of Mombasa or any of our national Airports if over-borrowing from the Asian giant is not curtailed?

The US should help Kenya recover its financial assets stashed in offshore accounts to help resuscitate the economy. The buck stops on President Biden’s administration and other European powers.

Kenyans are yet to know if a memorandum signed five years ago between retired President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Swiss counterpart Alain Berse did yield some fruit to recovery funds hidden in Swiss banks. With the US’s expertise in curtailing money laundering and other economic crimes, Kenya will recover its offshore financial assets.

Nine years ago, Forbes Magazine featured Ambassador Whitman as the 20^th most influential woman in the world out of a list of 100 due to her indelible record in corporate America. Why can’t she utilize her networks to help Kenya become a haven of investment by US investors?

Nyaringo is the President of Kenya Patriotic Movement, a Diaspora lobby based in the US