President William Ruto has unveiled the Kenya Diaspora Impact Platform, a new digital initiative aimed at connecting Kenyans living abroad with investment and national development opportunities at home.
Ruto launched the platform during his engagement with Kenyans living in the United States in New York on Sunday, September 20, as he began engagements ahead of the 81st United Nations General Assembly. The meeting was organised by the Kenyan Embassy in Washington, DC, in collaboration with the State Department for Diaspora Affairs.
The initiative is being spearheaded by the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs and the State Department for Diaspora Affairs, with the government saying it is intended to strengthen links between Kenyans abroad and opportunities in the country.
A joint Declaration of Intent involving the Government of Kenya, the United Nations and Equity Group Holdings was also signed during the New York engagement. Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi signed on behalf of the government, Equity Group Holdings CEO James Mwangi represented the private sector, while UN Resident Coordinator in Kenya Garry Conille represented the diaspora side.
Ruto described Kenyans living abroad as an important part of Kenya’s development, pointing not only to remittances but also to the skills, expertise, innovation, networks and capital they can bring into the country.
The President said the platform is intended to create opportunities for diaspora participation in community projects, financing of micro, small and medium enterprises, enterprise development and skills transfer.
He said the government wants to create a stronger link between Kenyans abroad and investment opportunities in the country, with trust, transparency and measurable results forming the basis of the initiative.
“We want to make it easier for those in Diaspora to convert assets and enterprises into long-term wealth,” Ruto said.
He identified housing, healthcare and agriculture among the sectors where Kenyans abroad could invest, while also encouraging members of the diaspora to contribute their professional expertise and knowledge to the Kenyan economy.
The launch comes as the government seeks to formalise its engagement with the Kenyan diaspora and create a structured mechanism through which Kenyans abroad can participate in national development. The platform had been identified ahead of the New York meeting as a key component of the government’s diaspora engagement strategy.
During the same meeting, President Ruto also defended Kenya’s Government-to-Government fuel importation model, which has recently come under scrutiny following remarks by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni over the role of intermediaries in petroleum procurement.
Ruto rejected claims that local oil marketers selected under the arrangement are costly middlemen, saying his administration had sought to eliminate brokers from fuel imports after taking office in 2022.
“If there is anything we got right immediately we took over the leadership of the country in 2022, it was to eliminate brokers in the importation of fuel,” Ruto said.
The President argued that the current model had helped Kenya maintain a consistent supply of petroleum products while reducing the pressure on foreign exchange that had affected the country’s fuel-importation system.
He said Kenya now has what he described as the right fuel importation model and claimed that other countries have studied and benchmarked the arrangement.
Ruto also challenged critics of the model to familiarise themselves with how the system operates before making what he described as misleading claims.
His remarks follow a statement by Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi defending the G-to-G arrangement and explaining that the government entered into agreements with major international oil companies in March 2023 to supply refined petroleum products on 180-day credit terms.
The Energy Ministry said the arrangement was introduced during a period of severe dollar shortages and was intended to reduce immediate foreign-exchange pressure while maintaining the security of fuel supplies.
The President also used the diaspora engagement to highlight what he described as achievements of his administration across agriculture, education, housing, healthcare, savings, digital infrastructure and roads.
He urged Kenyans living abroad to seek information from reliable sources rather than relying solely on social media when assessing developments in the country.
Ruto cited the growth of savings under the National Social Security Fund, saying national savings had increased from KSh320 billion in 2023 to KSh690 billion.
He attributed the increase to reforms that raised employee and employer contributions to six per cent of an employee’s salary and said national savings could reach KSh1 trillion by June 2027.
On healthcare, Ruto said the Social Health Authority had registered 33 million Kenyans since October 2024, compared with what he described as six to seven million registered members under the former National Health Insurance Fund.
He also highlighted affordable housing, the digital economy and the Kazi Majuu programme, saying the initiatives had contributed to employment opportunities for young Kenyans.
Housing Principal Secretary Charles Hinga and SHA Chief Executive Officer Mercy Mwangangi also addressed the diaspora on the respective programmes and investment opportunities available to Kenyans living abroad.
The President’s New York engagement comes as he prepares to participate in the 81st United Nations General Assembly high-level week, whose general debate is scheduled to begin on September 22.
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