Involve Kenyans in diaspora in decision making

Since the release of the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) report, navigating our path as one united nation has been on the minds of many.

In conversations with friends and colleagues, we have discussed problems facing the country and how to heal national wounds.

Thanks to the BBI, the discourse is more open than ever before, and people are finally beginning to express their feelings. One aspect is inclusivity.

At the individual level, this means fair hiring practices that do not discriminate on the basis of ethnicity, gender or disability.

In communities, it means welcoming people from different backgrounds. 

Kenyans should be encouraged to embrace politics - not necessarily by running for office, but through activism. 

According to the BBI report, several Kenyan communities feel marginalised.

However, they are also guilty of marginalising others in their respective counties. We need to create awareness about marginalisation, why it happens and how it can be prevented. 

It also suggested using private recruitment companies in the public service hiring process as part of a concerted effort to change cultural attitudes, eliminate nepotism, bribery, and other kinds of corruption in public sector recruitments.   

Another form of discrimination in Kenya is directed at dual citizens.

Those with dual citizenship are regarded as disloyal, but this mentality needs to change. All Kenyans are entitled to equal treatment. 

The role Kenyans in diaspora play in the country’s economic development through their remittances is great.   

At the recent Annual Kenya Diaspora Homecoming Convention, Devolution Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa and President Uhuru Kenyatta underscored the importance of maintaining good relations with the diaspora. 

Traditional foreign exchange earners liker tea, coffee, flowers and tourism have been surpassed by diaspora remittances.

The community’s influence on our socio-economic welfare and development is significant.  

Inclusivity of all Kenyan groups - whether at home or abroad - is needed to alleviate divisive politics.  

Moreover, diaspora contribution to economic development is not confined to charity. It also expands to investment opportunities.  Mr Wamalwa encouraged Kenyans abroad to become more actively engaged in the country’s political processes. 

One area that can get more investment from Kenyans abroad is implementing the Big Four Agenda.

For example, investments in the health sector can help us achieve universal healthcare.

In Brampton, Ontario, Canada, the mayor recently acknowledged the presence of Kenyans by raising the Kenyan flag for two weeks from December 12, 2019.

Discriminating against Kenyans with dual citizenship is counterproductive. In the spirit of inclusivity, Kenyans at home should welcome the participation of the diaspora community.  

By initiating the handshake and the BBI, President Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga made the right step towards unifying Kenyans.