Kenya today receives more foreign cash from remittances from the diaspora than from
each of its main exports: coffee, tea, and horticulture in spite of ongoing criticism of a
subpar diaspora policy.
According to a study from the nation’s central bank, diaspora remittances increased by
8.34% to $4.027 billion in 2022, surpassing exports, which brought in $5.77 billion in
foreign currency during the same time period.
Kenya’s top export, tea, is expected to bring in $1.2 billion in revenue in 2022, according
to a breakdown of some of the East African country’s major exports. Horticulture
throughout the nation came in second with a $901 million total. Following this are
coffee ($301 million), petroleum products ($77 million), and Kenyan chemicals, which
brought in $521 million during the time period under study.
Kenyans who reside overseas have received some policy attention from the current
Kenyan administration. A state agency has been established by President William Ruto
to address the concerns of Kenyans living abroad.
President William Ruto’s administration has underlined that it is important to consider
the wellbeing of Kenyans living abroad, both for the remittances they send home and for
the possibility that they will invest in local businesses to boost economic growth.
The welfare of the Kenyan diaspora has been given top priority by the Principal
Secretary, Roselyn Njogu, and the Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora affairs,
Alfred Mutua.
During their brief three-month tenure, they had visited Saudi Arabia, one of the largest
Kenyan diasporas, and addressed a number of reported instances of Kenyan workers
being mistreated by employers.
Mutua reaffirmed the administration’s position in an interview by emphasizing the
chances for Kenyans living abroad to invest in the local economy. He said in the
interview that “we want to take care of Kenyans; provide opportunities for them to get
international jobs; to leverage them into positions and powers overseas so that they can
help those at home; and we want to open up trade opportunities for those who are
overseas.”
Kenya, one of the African countries that is eager to increase foreign investment within
its boundaries, may experience an increase in foreign investment from Kenyans living
abroad as a result of the establishment of the new diaspora office.
Kenya’s largest foreign exchange earner is Diaspora remittances
