The Potential of Transnational Migrants to Contribute to Kenya's Vision 2030

Abstract

This study examined the development potential of Kenya‘s transnational migrants in the United Kingdom (UK), the United States of America (US), Canada and Ghana and how it can be leveraged towards the realization of Kenya‘s long term development plan - Kenya‘s Vision 2030. There is an upsurge of interest on the linkages between migration and development due to the realization that apart from the negative impact that migration can have on the countries of origin, migrants have much development potential which is largely unexploited. To explore how the development potential of Kenyan migrants can be mobilized towards the country‘s development, this study examined migrants‘ transnational involvement in remittance transfers, return-visits, savings, and investments. The study used mixed research methods in data collection and analysis: a survey of 212 respondents, 21 in-depth interviews and 5 focus group discussions. Overall, the study revealed that most of the Kenyan migrants in the four countries are actively involved in remittance transfers, return-visits, savings and investments in Kenya and they therefore form a potent development resource for the country. Nonetheless, this development potential has not been fully realized due to the numerous challenges the migrants encounter in their transnational engagement. The other key finding of the study is that most of the Kenyan migrants in the study are relatively young (92% are below 47 years) and highly skilled professionals (76% have a minimum of a bachelor‘s degree) who can be of immense benefit to Kenya from skills and knowledge transfer. But as the findings indicated most Kenyan migrants are scarcely informed about the objectives of Kenya‘s Vision 2030 and therefore may not be consciously involved in its realization. Based on these findings the study recommends an all-inclusive migrants‘ engagement strategy that will swiftly identify and address the concerns of the Kenyan migrants so as to encourage them to get more involved in national development. The study also recommends the improvement of information dissemination to the Kenyan diaspora. The objectives of Kenya‘s Vision 2030 should be clearly explained to the Kenyan diaspora and they should also be informed about available opportunities in Kenya. This study gives empirical support to the growing recognition of migrants‘ potential to contribute to the development of their home countries. It also contributes to the novel web survey data collection method. The study collected data from a study population that was scattered in four geographically dispersed countries using Surveymonkey web survey tool.