The government has received a Sh41 million grant from the World Bank to reach out to Kenyans in the diaspora to attract them to invest locally.
The money will be used to enhance the ability of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to develop a platform for engaging with Kenyans abroad.”This initiative is important given the number of Kenyans in the diaspora and their potential to contribute to economic development through resources and knowledge in areas where opportunities exist,” said Shobhana Sosale, the senior operations officer for human development at the World Bank.
While Kenyans living abroad are estimated to be about 2.5 million, the ministry is able to engage only 10 per cent of them.”Among other uses, this grant will support development of a reliable computerised database of diaspora professional networks,” she said.
Kenyans living abroad sent home up to Sh53.93 bn in 2010 according to the Central Bank of Kenya.
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