NAIROBI, Kenya, May 11 – The State Department for Diaspora Affairs is seeking to establish a Kenya-Diaspora Skills Transfer Program for Kenyans living abroad.
The program will provide a platform for Kenyans based abroad to be consulted on various development policies and offer their unique skills, perspectives, and experiences on a needs basis in critical areas of the economy.
It also aims to harness the skills, talent, experience, and knowledge of the Kenyans in the Diaspora to make an impact on Kenya’s economic, social, and political development.
“To tap into the skills, talent, experience and knowledge, the State Department is proposing to establish a Kenya- Diaspora Skills Transfer Program,” it stated.
The State Department emphasized that the Diaspora community has great potential for advancing the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformative Agenda (BETA).
“The Government of Kenya recognizes the immense potential of the invaluable resources, both tangible and intangible, held by the Diaspora represents a unique opportunity to drive Kenya’s sustainable development,” it added.
Some of the identified sectors for the transfer program include ICT and Financial Technology (Fintech), Medical Technology, Agriculture and Food Security, the Blue Economy, and the Creative Economy.
The Diaspora Affairs Department will help bridge the interested Kenyan diaspora to local stakeholders like MDAS, county governments, and community-based organizations through initiatives like virtual training, on-site workshops, seminars, and mentorship programs.
Others are collaborative research projects, internships and exchange programs, business incubation and investment support, short-term placement opportunities in Kenya, and CSR programs.
