Kenya has stepped up efforts to have diaspora issues integrated into the regional development agenda of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), following talks between State Department for Diaspora Affairs officials and the regional bloc’s secretariat in Lusaka, Zambia.
Outgoing Secretary for Diaspora Welfare and Partnerships Ambassador Helen Hadhiambo and incoming Secretary Ambassador L Kyptynnes paid a courtesy call on COMESA Assistant Secretary General Dr Dev Anand Haman, who represented the Secretary General.
The meeting explored ways of mainstreaming the Diaspora Agenda within COMESA and positioning diaspora communities as contributors to regional integration and development.
“The COMESA team welcomed the proposals and acknowledged the importance of positioning the Diaspora Agenda within mainstream COMESA as an instrument of regional integration. It further recognized the diaspora as a critical source of resources and skills for national and regional development,”statement read.
The Kenyan delegation briefed the COMESA Secretariat on the mandate of the State Department for Diaspora Affairs, including diaspora welfare and rights, consular services, investment support, skills and labour mobility.
The discussions also focused on efforts to reduce remittance costs and encourage diaspora communities to channel more resources towards productive investment.
Among the proposals presented were sector-specific diaspora trade missions, regional recognition and deployment of skills, and the integration of digital payments into COMESA’s growing digital trade agenda.
Kenya also proposed a roundtable bringing together COMESA Central Bank Governors to explore ways of addressing the cost of sending money across borders.
The COMESA team welcomed the proposals, acknowledging the importance of incorporating the Diaspora Agenda into the bloc’s mainstream programmes as part of efforts to strengthen regional integration.
The regional body also recognised the diaspora as an important source of skills, investment and other resources that can support national and regional development.
The Kenyan delegation was accompanied by officials from the Kenya High Commission in Lusaka, led by Head of Chancery Robert Kobia, alongside Sophia Machuki, Assistant Director for Trade and Investment, and Immigration Attaché Scholastica Juma.
Also present were State Department for Diaspora Affairs Director of Records Agatha Dindi and Foreign Service Officer Okara Lumumba.
