On the afternoon Sunday, September 25, 2011, I sat in the Doubletree Hotel ballroom in Minneapolis, Minnesota as Prime Minister Raila Odinga addressed a sizable crowd of Kenyans. Emerging from the lengthy and sometimes labored session was a key headline: the Prime Minister disfavors a cabinet-level ministry of diaspora affairs. (See mshale.com, where the actual words are "shot down"). His reasoning - the Kenyan government was too bloated already to accomodate yet another bureacratic outfit.
Time did not permit the robust (and sometimes rancourous) debate that we in Minnesota have become known for. The Prime Minister was only able to take just a handful of questions/comments from the audience in the abbreviated "Q&A" session after his address. Understandably, I did not catch the "chair's eye."
In all fairness, Mr. Odinga addressed other issues of national importance such as the miserable state of famine in North Eastern Kenya and neighboring Somalia, youth unemployment, corruption, tribalism, the new Constitution; Vision 2030 and others. However for some reason, my mind keeps returning to Prime Minister's response on the issue of a ministry of diaspora affairs.
The more I reflect on the subject, a possible pattern (and maybe explanation) emerges. You see, "Agwambo" is an astitute politician who has survived all manner of tribulations for over a generation now. He knows damn well that for sometime now, Kenyans in the diaspora have felt ignored, often used and dumped or suffer from widespread disillusionment. But he also knows that they are rational and would, more likely than not, vote for him over anyone else.
The apparent sense of complacency on the part of Mr. Odinga is troubling, to say the least. For one, the Prime Minister kept the large audience waiting in the crowded ballroom for more than two hours. While this may have been on the advice of his handlers, an apology for the delay may have been appropriate. Second, and as was noted by a number of Mr. Odinga's ardent supporters, he had not set foot in Minnesota since the campaign season for the 2007 general elections. This is despite an express commitment to do so after the elections. However, this may be excusable on account of the post-election violednce that rocked Kenya in 2008. Third, the Prime Minister hardly articulated a plan for the role Kenyans in the diaspora may play in developing the nation. He seems to believe that a desk at his office and at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is more than adequate. Finally, Mr. Odinga's off-handed dismissal of the suggestion of a ministry for the diaspora was swift and unequivocal. Few other issues received such treatment that day.
Simply put, matters such as a diaspora-dedicated ministry may only be the tip of an iceberg. What the Kenyans in the diaspora really crave is an opportunity to engage and dialogue, and be meaningfully engaged in matters of national importance. To reduce such a goal to just a ministry suggestion -which is promptly shot down - demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of our role in Kenya's oft-cited goals of leaping into a middle income economy. It is undisputed that remittances from the diaspora (particularly North America) account for a significant portion of Kenya's economic activity. According to Central Bank of Kenya, Kenyans abroad sent over Kshs. 58 billion in 2010, and the amount is expected to double for 2011.
Though apparently logical on the surface, Mr. Odinga's argument that the Kenyan government is too big for a new ministry is flawed at its core. Under the new Constitution, only the number of Cabinet Secretaries is limited, not their missions. I doubt that anyone is suggesting that the proposed ministry be piled upon the current unsustainable monstrosity of ministers, their assistants and permanent secretaries. Besides, if anyone deserves blame for the bloated government is Mr. Odinga and President Kibaki who made all the appointments. Surely, it cannot be that an additional ministry (to serve the country's largest foreign exchange earner) is somehow excessive. More than just a ministry (or a department), Kenyans in the diaspora deserve respect from public servants.
If any examples were needed, one only needs to look at India, Israel, Italy, the Phillipines and China to appreciate the key roles played by their sons and daughters away from their birth-nations. Kenya would do well to borrow a leaf from these countries in so far as relations with their diaspora populations are concerned.
Having gone through the trouble of squeezing in the Minnesota trip amid his overwhelmingly busy schedule, Mr. Odinga deserved more. This was a unique opportunity for him and his entourage to re-assure skeptical Kenyans in the diaspora that they too, counted. Unfortunately, the events at the Doubletree Hotel seemed to suggest the opposite. For the eternal optimists, there may other opportunities to mend fences in the future. In the spirit of Minnesota "nice", I would welcome Mr. Odinga to Minneapolis any time his schedule permits.
May God continue blessing our beloved country, Kenya.
