Tuesday, June 2, 2026(NAIROBI)__Diaspora Affairs Principal Secretary, Ms. Roseline Kathure Njogu, on Tuesday led a pre-departure training session for diplomats and foreign service officers at the Foreign Service Academy (FSA), centering her remarks on "The Evolution of the Kenya Diaspora: The Future of Diaspora Diplomacy."
Drawing on recent policy shifts and the State Department’s outreach programmes, PS Njogu framed the diaspora as a national asset and described how the government has intentionally deepened engagement with Kenyans abroad.
She urged participants to adopt diaspora diplomacy as a core element of foreign service work — moving beyond consular protection to actively mobilize diaspora talent, investment and networks for national development.
Tracing the diaspora’s history, PS Njogu noted participation in pre‑independence geopolitical events, including World War II; the Tom Mboya airlifts; the era of political exile and the flow of students pursuing higher education abroad. She observed that over the past two decades the discourse has increasingly focused on labour mobility.
The PS called for a paradigm shift from basic consular services to a proactive, partnership‑driven posture. She highlighted measures under the Fifth Administration that integrate the diaspora into the national development agenda: strengthened labour mobility frameworks and bilateral agreements; expanded consular and digital services; institutional reforms at the State Department for Diaspora Affairs; and targeted programmes to encourage skills transfer, research collaboration and diaspora direct investment.
Describing the diaspora as both a source of foreign exchange and a reservoir of skills, innovation and global connections, PS Njogu urged diplomats to identify and cultivate diaspora leaders, entrepreneurs and professionals in their host posts. She outlined practical tools — engagement platforms, talent mapping, public diplomacy initiatives and investment facilitation — that missions can use to convert diaspora ties into measurable development outcomes.
The PS also explained how initiatives under the Bottom‑Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) provide concrete entry points for diaspora participation in sectors such as affordable housing, healthcare, manufacturing, agriculture, renewable energy, the digital economy, tourism and the creative industries.
PS Njogu encouraged officers to champion partnerships between Kenyan missions, local diaspora associations and domestic stakeholders to unlock investment, mentorship and technology exchange.
She reaffirmed the Fifth Administration’s commitment to placing the diaspora at the centre of Kenya’s socio‑economic transformation and urged the Foreign Service to mainstream diaspora diplomacy so engagement is consistent, strategic and results‑oriented.
Ambassador Patrick Wamoto, the Ag. Director-General of the Foreign Service Academy-FSA, welcomed the collaboration and underscored the importance of equipping diplomats with the skills to engage diaspora communities effectively.
The training forms part of broader capacity‑building efforts to align Kenya’s diplomatic corps with evolving priorities on migration, labour mobility and diaspora‑led development. Earlier sessions featured Ms. Lucy Muraya on "Beyond Remittances — Operationalizing Kenya’s Diaspora Policy through Diplomatic Missions" and Ms. Elizabeth Mghanga on "Consular Assistance to Kenyans in Distress — Prison Visits, Medical Emergencies and Repatriation Procedures."