Kalonzo roots for Diaspora seat in Parliament
By Joseph Ngugi in London, Posted November 19, 2011
The Kenyan Diaspora should be represented in Parliament in recognition of their contribution towards the country’s economy, Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka has suggested.
Addressing Kenyans in East London on Sunday night, the VP urged Kenyans living abroad to lobby their MPs to change the law so that provision for a special Diaspora’s seat could be created to accommodate them into local leadership and politics.
"The Diaspora remits a huge amount of money to Kenya’s economy every year and your participation in nation building in this particular way should be recognised," Kalonzo said.
He noted that the foreign exchange remittance by the Diaspora increased by 27 per cent from $350.9 million (Sh34 billion) in June last year to $475 million (Sh46 billion) in June, 2011.
Last month, Kenyans living abroad sent back Sh8.8billion, which was more than the annual budget for most Government ministries.
dual citizenship
Kalonzo said that the dual citizenship provision in the new Constitution should assure them that they still have a role to play in their country’s development. He pledged to work with the Diaspora in ensuring that their interests were recognised.
The VP was accompanied by the minister for Special Programmes, Esther Murugi, assistant ministers Kabando wa Kabando, and Asman Kamama, Government Chief Whip Johnstone Muthama, Mathira MP Ephraim Maina and PS in the VP’s office, Dr Ludeki Chweya.
Succession politics also came to the fore with Mr Maina saying he supported either the presidency of Kalonzo, Internal Security minister George Saitoti or Finance minister Uhuru Kenyatta because they were "the most experienced".
Mr Kabando said that it was wrong for some elderly politicians from Central Province to purport to speak for the whole community especially on the issue of whom to support at the next presidential election.
Kalonzo’s meeting comes at a time when Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s supporters have announced a campaign targeting the 3.4 million potential voters from the Diaspora.
Source: The Standard
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