Israel has it,Ghana has it,Why not Kenya? How come diaspora sends all this money to Kenya yet Kenya has not reciprocated. Diaspora will be a major force in the future of Kenya. How come the current government has not recognized this.

Lets blog and blog,lets make this a political issue. Why not create a ministry of Diaspora Affairs,or elevate a major department in The ministry of Foreign affairs?

Why not dont we have formal well organized government forums to discuss diapora as a future driver of Kenyan economy. Diaspora is growing in wealth and must not be ignored.

What do people in SK think?

I agree with you Doh,People residing in the homeland have nothing to lose. With thousands of children born in foreign lands by Kenyan parents. Kenya needs to find a way to usher this new generation that will grow with all the benefits of the first world ASAP. With all those MPS,and ministers ideas like this are just common sense. But its sorry to say that our leaders are narrow minded,visionless and lazy...

Most Kenyans living in Kenya are not even patriotic or nationalistic. A good number continue to define themselves as per the tribal cocoons from which they emerged. That,my fellow countrymen,is a more dire and urgent issue than granting dual citizenship to fellows living in the west whose primary allegiance is usually to the richer country anyway.

Will guys in the diaspora increase remittances once they have dual citizenship? Will they stop the money transfers if things continue as they are and as they should be? I think not.

Happiness can't buy you money!

@ saecar
Of course being a Kenyan citizen residing in Kenya gives one a higher claim to the motherland compared to a non-resident! It goes without saying. That's why Article 43 of the current constitution declares residency as a prerequisite to election as an MP- and that's just an example.

Kenyans in the diaspora simply want to have their cake and eat it.

They want to have a safety net (Kenya) while they continue hailing the Queen or singing the star-spangled banner.

Happiness can't buy you money!

Citizenship is one of those things that you have to think long and hard about. It is like marriage - you really have to think about the person you want to live with the rest of your life...without ever considering the possibility of having a second partner. If you are unhappy with your spouse,then leave them first before starting another relationship...you cannot serve two masters at the same time!!!!!!

Same with citizenship - you have to consider carefully which country you wish to 'belong' to. Once you have made up your mind,then you have to drop your loyalty to the current one and dedicate yourself to the new country of choice.

But then again,there is the interesting case of Obama whom many Kenyans consider to be their countryman yet he is a US citizen,by birth! This is the principle used by Israel. According to Israelis,all Jews wherever they live,are Israeli citizens - whether they have papers to that effect or not!

In my view,if I ever decide to take any other country's citizenship,I will surrender my Kenyan one immediately - whether or not the law will allow me to hold dual citizenship.

For that reason,I don't understand why people are asking for dual citizenship.