January, 11 2005

Jerry Okungu's article titled "Kenya's spoilt exiles have nothing to give this country" in "The Standard" of 5th January 2005 ( Standard Archives ), was a candid and frank effort to address a subject that has been ignored for too long, and Jerry needs to be commended for this very brave move.

In a nutshell, Jerry stated that the huge Kenyan Community Abroad has and is not making any tangible contribution to the development of this country, a view that must be held to be true, in the absence of much to suggest otherwise.

The overall position of the entire Kenyan Community Abroad, needs thorough reviewing, overhauling and transformation, to immediately halt the monumental wastage in personnel, funds and resources. Other than a website( kenyansabroad.org ), KCA does not have any meaningful programs running either abroad or at home.

KCA was founded in March 1997 according to their website, but there is nothing to suggest that they have filed returns with the Kenyan Registrar of Societies for the past seven years, returns that would be invaluable in reevaluating the Gross National Product (GNP).

The failure by the KCA to compile and file authentic and credible Reports of their audited accounts and activities over the past seven years, makes nonsense of their claims that they have made immense contributions to Kenya's development. The KCA has not shied away from attacking purported exploitation of Kenyans by giant Multi-National Corporations operating in Kenya.

Whatever ills that the purportedly exploiting Multi-National Corporations stand accused of, they continue to make annual returns in conformity with the law. Other than making heavy contributions to the Kenya Revenue Authority in the form of a wide array of taxes, Multi-National Corporations continue to publish their annual audited accounts in leading Kenyan publications by way of full page paid advertisements, unlike the KCA which forever continues to freeload on complimentary slots in the same publications.

Sylvester Kitua in a January 10th 2005 rejoinder titled "Okungu knows little about the role of Kenyans living abroad" ( Read Article ), claims that that the entire African Diaspora annually remits back home an amount of US $ 80 billion.

Mr. Kitua does not quote the source of his figure, but even if one were to assume that only a minute fraction of this figure, say 0.1 %, is the Kenyan remittance, then this would mean that Kenya receives an annual amount of US $ 8 million (640 million Kenya Shillings), from the Diaspora, which is an outrageous misrepresentation. These kinds of funds would comfortably enable the KCA maintain a fully staffed and running National Office in Nairobi, fully staffed and running branches in each of the eight provinces of Kenya, and fully staffed and running sub-branches in each of the 70 districts of Kenya.

Additionally, Al Kags in a January 8th 2005 response titled "Kenyans living abroad are doing a lot for their country" ( Standard Archives ), claims that the number of Kenyans abroad numbers 1.8 million. Al Kags like Sylvester Kitua above, does not quote the source of his figures, but even if one were to assume that only a tenth of the 1.8 million Kenyans abroad are active members of KCA, paying an annual modest membership fee of US $ 20, then this translates to an annual revenue for KCA of US $ 3, 600, 000 (288 million Kenya Shillings), from membership subscriptions alone.

These kind of funds would comfortably enable the KCA maintain fully staffed and running Chapters in North America, Europe, Southern Africa, the East and Central Africa region outside Kenya, and Australia, where the bulk of the Kenya Community Abroad is situated. With these structures in place at home and abroad, the KCA should have been able to hold numerous awareness campaigns, workshops, seminars and road-shows over the past seven years, both at home and abroad. These assemblies would have succeeded by now in entrenching a much clearer understanding on living, studying and working abroad, amongst Kenyans back home.

The provincial and district KCA offices at home in particular, would have been invaluable and instrumental in coordinating and organizing relocation of numerous Kenyans to different parts of the world, to study, work or trade. KCA at large, would have succeeded in spearheading a massive socio-economic movement in Kenya through ideology, akin to the Robert Mugabe led Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU), the Yoweri Museveni led National Resistance Movement (NRM), the Paul Kagame led Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), the Oliver Tambo led African National Congress (ANC), and the John Garang led Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLM), all of which staged successful movements from outside their respective countries. Jerry Okungu is therefore fully justified in dismissing the Kenya Community Abroad.

KCA is just as bad as the current and previous Kenya governments that it continues to attack, Kenya governments that facilitated it’s very existence. Rather than build a vibrant Kenya Community Abroad, reports that continue to filter back home are of disjointedness and desperation. Five years ago, alarming pornographic images purported to be those of Kenyans in the United States, circulated extensively on the internet. Some of the images displayed nude individuals brandishing the Kenyan flag. The one known source of the pornographic images( Waone Warembo ), even mentions pornographic video tapes involving Kenyans.

Unconfirmed reports on a host of Kenyan websites manned from the Diaspora, suggested that the participants in the said pornographic video tapes, communicated in both Kiswahili and "Sheng". Further unconfirmed reports from the same said websites, also alleged that pornographic activities by Kenyans was also rife in Canada. The KCA has not made any indication whatsoever that it is investigating these claims and arranging to render assistance and remedy where necessary.

It is misplaced and unjustified in the extreme to make a blanket condemnation of all Kenyans abroad. A sizable number of Kenyans abroad are making useful contributions to themselves and those back hope. The policy of allocating huge funds and resources to settle huge numbers of Kenyans abroad for one reason or another ought to be however reviewed, if it is not bearing results. The huge funds and resources used to relocate Kenyans abroad, had rather be re-directed to the rehabilitation, funding, improvement and support of individuals and structures back home.

Michael Mundia Kamau
Nairobi

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