The Ministry of Foreign Affairs plans to establish six diaspora resource centers abroad, providing distressed Kenyans with a safe refuge when emergencies strike overseas.
According to a State Department for Diaspora Affairs (SDDA) report released on August 16, officials will set up these safe houses across select Kenyan missions over the next three financial years, running from 2027/28 to 2029/30.
This rollout addresses delays in expanding the network, as the department opened only one center in Thailand during the 2023/24–2025/26 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) cycle.
Missing its original target of two centers highlighted the slow pace of establishing these safe hubs. The Ministry now aims to close that gap by deploying six fully equipped resource centers in foreign missions under the new medium-term plan.
The department ranks this initiative among its top 14 priorities, framing it as a critical safeguard for the welfare and rights of Kenyans living abroad.
Under this framework, the department plans to operationalize two resource centers each year from 2027/28 through 2029/30.
These centers will run under the Diaspora Economic, Commercial, and Cultural Affairs sub-program, which oversees welfare services for overseas citizens.
Funding for the subprogram is already budgeted. It requires Ksh767.8 million in 2027/28, Ksh871.6 million in 2028/29, and Ksh873.8 million in 2029/30 as part of the department’s broader recurrent budget requests.
Overall, the State Department is requesting Ksh1.75 billion, Ksh1.97 billion, and Ksh2.06 billion across the three respective financial years from the National Treasury to execute its agenda.
So far, official data shows that the SDDA evacuated and repatriated 4,928 Kenyans in distress from over 20 nations, including Sudan, Myanmar, Thailand, and Saudi Arabia.
Beyond evacuations, 1,569 distressed citizens received counseling and psychosocial support, while 9,548 others accessed mobile consular services across 50 countries.
Consular teams also conducted prison and detention visits across 16 countries, including Dubai, Qatar, and Lebanon, to check on Kenyans held in custody or facing deportation.
To address ongoing challenges, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is leading public participation and inviting feedback on key fixes. These priorities include securing higher budget allocations for essential programs, raising awareness on the e-government procurement system, boosting diaspora registration for better data, and strengthening intergovernmental action against human trafficking.
Submissions can be sent directly to finance@diaspora.go.ke.
“The State Department for Diaspora Affairs is calling for comments and feedback on the sub-sector MTEF report for the period 2027/28-2029/30. Views, reviews and comments to be sent to finance@diaspora.go.ke,” the Ministry stated.
