The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced a plan to open six new diaspora resource centres in Kenyan missions abroad between 2027 and 2030. These centres aim to provide safe spaces and assistance for Kenyans facing difficulties overseas.

Currently, only one such facility exists in Thailand, established during the 2023/24–2025/26 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) period, falling short of the initial target of two centres. To address this shortfall, the ministry intends to operationalize two centres annually over the next three financial years.

Funding and Implementation

  • The resource centres will be part of the Diaspora Economic, Commercial, and Cultural Affairs sub-program, which manages welfare services for Kenyans abroad.
  • Budget allocations for this sub-program are set at Ksh767.8 million in 2027/28, increasing to Ksh871.6 million in 2028/29, and Ksh873.8 million in 2029/30.
  • The State Department for Diaspora Affairs (SDDA) is requesting a total of Ksh1.75 billion, Ksh1.97 billion, and Ksh2.06 billion for the respective years from the National Treasury.

Support Provided So Far

Since its inception, the SDDA has evacuated and repatriated 4,928 Kenyans from over 20 countries, including conflict zones and regions such as Sudan, Myanmar, Thailand, and Saudi Arabia. Additionally, 1,569 individuals have received counselling and psycho-social support, while 9,548 accessed mobile consular services across 50 countries.

Consular visits have also been conducted in 16 countries to monitor Kenyans detained in prisons, deportation centres, and other holding facilities.

Ongoing Challenges and Public Participation

Despite these efforts, challenges persist with Kenyans caught in conflict areas like Ukraine and victims of human trafficking in Southeast Asia's "Golden Triangle." Many young Kenyans have been lured by fraudulent job offers and subsequently subjected to forced labour in cyber-scam operations.

The Ministry is inviting public feedback on the diaspora sub-sector’s medium-term plan to improve services, enhance budgetary allocations, strengthen intergovernmental coordination, and combat exploitation of Kenyan migrant workers. Comments can be sent to finance@diaspora.go.ke.