dissemination seminar on the perceptions and attitudes of citizens towards their diaspora
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7/31/2019 Dissemination Seminar on the Perceptions and Attitudes of Citizens Towards Their Diaspora
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REPORT
ON
THE DISSEMINATION SEMINAR ON ‘THE PERCEPTIONS AND ATTITUDES OF
KENYANS AND TANZANIANS TOWARDS THEIR DIASPORA’
This Seminar was held jointly by the African Migration and Development Policy Centre
(AMADPOC) and the British High Commission, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (BHC/FCO
at Fairview Hotel on 19th
June 2012.
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Introduction
This seminar drew together researchers from AMADPOC and the University of Nairobi,
Government of Kenya representatives, representatives of Tanzania and Uganda High
Commissions, a representative from apiece from the International Organisation for Migration,
the British High Commission’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the officer responsiblefor diaspora affairs at the Kenya Commercial Bank headquarters. It was meant to disseminate the
findings of an exploratory research which the Executive Director of AMADPOC undertook in
2009 while he was a European Commission’s Marie Curie Chair holder at the defunct Centre for
Research in Ethnic Relations, University of Warwick in the United Kingdom in March 2007-
February 2010. Fieldwork for the research was carried out by a gentleman in Kenya and a lady in
Tanzania in August-November 2009 and the preliminary report submitted to the European
Commission pending the final report, which version was disseminated at this seminar. The
seminar, funded by the British High Commission’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office
(BHC/FCO), also benefited from a presentation of ongoing as well as envisaged work in the
region by the latter on migration-development nexus. The seminar was a one-day activity given
it exploratory nature with a view to generating issues to be investigated in similar or closely
related subject within the East African Community (EAC).
Opening Remarks
The opening remarks were given by the Founder and Executive Director of AMADPOC, Prof.
John Oucho who introduced the seminar chairperson, Dr. Boniface K’Oyugi, the Director -
General of the National Council for Population and Development (NCPD). He thanked all the
participants for honouring the invitation and finding time to come for the seminar. He pointed
out that the seminar was yet another of the many collaborative efforts between AMADPOC,
BHC, IOM and other development partners. He also reiterated BHC’s interest in supporting
AMADPOC in activities that would be of mutual interest. Thereafter, he introduced AMADPOC
as a centre which started as a ‘social remittance’ and working under four key programme areas:
Research and Data Hub; Training and Capacity Building; Policy Dialogue and Networking and
Resource Centre. He then welcomed Dr. Boniface K’Oyugi to chair the seminar.
In his opening remarks, Dr. K’Oyugi, the Director-General of the National Council for
Population and Development (NCPD) announced that the research on perceptions and attitudes
of citizens towards their diaspora is useful to the NCPD. This is because NCPD has been
working on the national population policy, in which one of the need for migration information to
be put in use. In addition, migration, as one of the three components of population, has largely
been ignored. He affirmed the contribution of the diaspora in terms of capital remitted as quite
substantial but decried inadequate documentation on this. He drew attention to the fact that the
East African Community (EAC) has always had a dream for effective integration, noting that
information obtained from the AMADPOC research to be presented is therefore important as,
7/31/2019 Dissemination Seminar on the Perceptions and Attitudes of Citizens Towards Their Diaspora
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among other things, it could open avenues for easy movement of persons within the five EAC
partner states.
Objectives of the seminar
a) To report the findings of a recent study on citizen perceptions of and attitudes toward Kenyanand Tanzanian diasporas. The dissemination of the research findings will uncover citizen
perceptions and attitudes that create a backdrop for some of the actions experienced by the
diaspora as they reach out to the communities that they originated from.
b) To provide an opportunity for the British High Commission’s Foreign and Commonwealth
Office (BHCFCO) in Nairobi to make a presentation on migration and development nexus in
the East African Community (EAC) on which it has been working and would be prepared to
work.
c) To create an opportunity for the seminar participants to help chart the way forward on the
subject of research as well as the work of the BHC/FCO in Kenya and indeed the rest of the
EAC.
Session I
Background, Definitions, Rationale, Literature Review by Mr. George Odipo
Points that arose from Mr. George Odipo’s presentation are as follows:
- As we discuss issues of migration and diaspora, it is important to examine the role played by
culture in migration settings.
- Literature review needs to be beefed up. This can be done by looking at the census data of the
respective countries as well as studies undertaken on the subject in the region and elsewhere.
- IOM has a data/information bank which could enrich the study as well as permit a clear
definition of the term ‘diaspora’.
- More information can be drawn from Uganda because the country has done a lot of research on
issues of migration and pioneered engagement with its diaspora earlier than other EAC partner
states.
- The study should consider interrogation existing policies and legal documents that talk of
migration issues, for example the population policies of the respective countries, the national
constitutions and the national Visions 2000 series.
- One question posed was, when defining diaspora, how does it capture citizens of the EACpartner states?
- Tanzania and Kenya have recently reviewed their constitutions and diaspora has been
recognized in the bill of rights, particularly in the Kenya Constitution adopted in August 2010.
- Another question was, how best are we going to delineate the diaspora in the EAC, Africa and
outside Africa as this could benefit us more, unlike adopting a general definition ?
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- There is need for clear definition of diaspora to be brought out in the research. This will help
bring out a clear understanding of some issues. For example
Are Kenyans living and working in Uganda and Tanzania regarded as migrants given the
EAC Common Market protocol? Are perceptions of all Kenyans living abroad similar
to the perceptions of the citizens back home? Do we have Kenyan diaspora or it is
ethnic based, religious based, etc?
According to a Ugandan concerned with diaspora matters at the Uganda High Commission in
Kenya different situations pose varied perceptions. For instance, the locals perceive their
relatives in the diaspora as breadwinners and may not want them to come home while politicians
perceive them as a source of capital for investment. Others need them when there is need e.g.
political situation (e.g. currently in Kenya) when their votes are needed.
In his concluding remarks responding to the discussion, Mr. Odipo pointed out that there is a thin
difference between diaspora and migrants. Kenyans living outside Kenya are emigrants but notall qualify to be diaspora.
Prof. Oucho then clarified the definitions by indicating that the diaspora must maintain links with
the home country. The links could be emotional, monetary, etc. He added that the issue of dual
citizenship takes into account mutuality of the two countries as some countries requiring their
residents to renounce one citizenship.
Responding to the question on question of how the definition can be pegged to EAC, Prof.
Oucho pointed out that the research was undertaken before the EAC Common Market protocol
came into being but added that the suggestion would be incorporated in the revised report andtaken up in future research.
Session II
Research Objectives and Methodology by Dr. Linda Oucho
Research Objectives:
• To generate data on the perceptions and attitudes of citizens left behind, some of who
maintain and others severed relations with thier family and friends in the diaspora;
• To document citizen percpetions and attitudes as evidence of what awaits the diaspora as
they endeavour to maintain links with the citizens and thier country of origin;
• To detect positive and negative perceptions as well as attitudes that would require
policymakers’ attention and possible intervention measures including further research;
and
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• To make recommendations that would assist policymakers and other stakeholders to
eliminate citizens negative and upjhold positive views, leading to the formulation of
appropriate policies and design of relevant citizen-diaspora collaborative venture
Methodology
The research, being exploratory, applied only the Focus Group Discussion (FGD) approach. The
FGD was the preferred qualitative methodology mainly due to time and resource constraints. In
addition, FGD sessions would yield invaluable data upon which in-depth interviews and
quantitative research would subsequently be based.
The FGD participants were screened before admission into specific FGD sessions to ensure
selection of homogeneous or relatively homogeneous groups on a combination of demographic
and socio-economic attributes: sex/gender, age, marital status, education and economic activity.
Strengths
• Allows participants’ to provide spontaneous responses.
• FGDs are flexible and allow each participant to build on one another’s responses and helps build the participants’ confidence.
• Different people meet on one agenda are able to build new connections.
• The method allows for observation of body language such as reading facial expressions
portrayed by a respondent e.g. smiling or nodding head which implies approval and shaking of
head, which suggests disapproval, and so on.
Weaknesses
• The method requires excellent facilitation skills, e.g. the ability to handle various roles played by
the FDG participants, such as “the expert”, “insider”, “outsider”, “friend”, all denoting different
interests.
• The data collected, though rich, may be difficult to analyze because it is unstructured and it is
difficult to make clear-cut categories of the issues raised; and transcription of information can
be a tricky exercise.
• The fact that some respondents may be illiterate results inaccurate interpretation challenges as
accurate response may be interpreted otherwise.
• It is not easy to read facial responses’ expressions accurately, especially in instances where
participants are deceptive or conceal the correct information.
Points that arose from the presentation are as follows:- In the categories that were selected for the FGDs, persons aged 31-49 years were excluded, and
the question was why did that happen?
- Group 5 comprises of only women aged 50s, why?
- Which diaspora were you interested focusing in particular: is it Kenyans and Tanzanians in the
UK, US, etc? Please clarify.
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- The characteristics of the FGD participants indicate that they were mainly professionals. The
perceptions of non-elites also need to be known to allow for good generalization.
- Given the limitations associated with FGD as a method (like difficulties in observing facial
expressions, perceptions and attitudes), what measures were put in place to ensure that the
quality of information collected is not compromised?
- Time and resource constraints may not be major obstacles given that the research should
continue by seeking more support.
- Consider what other researchers have done on the subject in the similar area and evaluate the
methodology which was employed.
- While FGD is a viable methodology, there is need for a survey in order for the two to
complement each other.
- When selecting the methodology, choose one because of its viability and not because you are
constrained by situations like time and resources. The quality of information should be the
guiding factor.
- Explain all the strengths and limitations associated with the methodology.
- Consider involving the key officials/stakeholders in both countries (e.g. Employ In-Depth
Interviews). This can also be used to complement information obtained from the FGDs).
- The research was only limited to Dar es Salaam and the findings may not be generalized to
reflect the perceptions of all Tanzanians in the country. To overcome this limitation, consider
increasing the sample size.
- How did the research address the issue of gender bias in the methodology given that men may
not open up when interviewed in the presence of women and vice versa?
Dr. K’Oyugi who was chairing the seminar summarized the session. He pointed out that instead
of interviewing homeland citizens only, the study should have also captured the perceptions andattitudes of their diaspora, including r the perceptions of those who interact with the diasporas.
This might yield different findings. In addition, the researchers should consider undertaking
individual interviews in addition to FGDs since some people may not give their true perceptions
while in a group. He suggested that given that the research was only conducted in Dar es Salaam
and Nairobi, the topic should then be framed to reflect the perceptions of those living in the two
cities and not the whole country. Thus, the research topic should change to the perceptions and
attitudes of homeland citizens in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam.
In her concluding remarks, Dr. Linda Oucho suggested that it would also be extremely useful if
the perceptions of those in diaspora were explored and that AMADPOC would take up thechallenge on acquiring resources for the purpose.
Session III
The Main Findings by Prof. John Oucho
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Prof. Oucho presented the findings as guided by the six (6) themes as highlighted below that
were explored in FGD sessions:
The meaning of diaspora
Emergence of the diaspora and its sustainability
Citizen perceptions of the diaspora Perceptions of what diaspora do back home and the challenges they face
Diaspora in the two settings: homeland and destinations
Dual citizenship of origin and destination versus permanent residence at destination
Issues that arose from the presentation:
- What is the level of generalization of the findings?
- Is there a varied corruption index that the research can come up with so as to curb corruption
given that it is an obstacle in research?
- For a more generalisable conclusion, more surveys could be done or the sample size could beincreased.
- AMADPOC should come out and push for a body that will protect the citizens so that they are
not subjected to psychological trauma that arises due to fellow citizens viewing them as a
threat, including their stiff competition for scarce resources.
- At times the government finds it hard to accept a diaspora returning home. Accessing a job is
also difficult because the diaspora are seen as revolutionaries. There is need therefore to get
information from the government officials as well.
- The methodology is exploratory and so are the findings. For purposes of engaging all the
relevant stakeholders, informing policies and treaties, pick on the key findings only.
- Indicators should be clearly specified permit measurement of perceptions and attitudes.
- Given that this is a metadata, rationale of the study, definitions of key concepts, gender
considerations and limitations should be noted.
- What level does the present the findings address? Are they at the city level?
- Explore the existing literature and pick out the themes that come out as prominent. This will
guide in the selection of key findings. They are also important for bureaucrats and policy
makers.
- As we think of the ‘global’ perception, it is important to consider the l perceptions of the local
diaspora, too. For instance, a Kenyan living in Mandera may perceive diaspora differently
compared to someone in Nairobi.- Dr. Omondi Odhiambo of the UN-HABITAT highlighted that their UN agency is very much
interested in the research. It marks a benchmark for them to examine how to engage with
AMADPOC.
While summarizing the session, the chairman added that the knowledge of what the participants
do (occupation) is important in influencing bilateral agreements. To get this information, it is
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necessary to involve governments. Alternatively a full study on the diaspora would be able to
give clear statistics on the percentage of those engaged in different occupations.
Getting information on the challenges that they face is also important as a guide in making
decisions that are geared towards changing the ‘unfavorable social environment’. This will also
play a significant role in informing the policies and other legal documents like the vision 2030which has addressed the social pillar.
In relation to this, the Government of Kenya normally looks at policies to see whether there is
need to revise them to address the issues (such as unfavourable environment) or to generate laws
to curb the same. Given that the key role of research is to inform policies, this particular research
therefore comes in handy. He added that there is a new population policy (being prepared as
Sessional Paper No. 3 of 2012) which is expected to be out in a month’s time. It has a policy
measure on migration and in it there is the issue of the diaspora.
In his concluding remarks from Prof. Oucho noted that this is the first research of its kind in thisregion focusing on citizen perceptions of and attitudes toward diaspora. It is an exploratory
research and therefore has opened many windows for future research. He reiterated that
AMADPOC will explore possibilities of replicating the research in all other EAC partner states,
going beyond an exploratory perspective to apply other methodologies of data collection.
Session IV
Returns and Reintegration Fund by Neil Roberts
Mr. Neil Roberts gave his presentation as outlined:
1. Overview of the Returns and Reintegration fund (RRF)2. To outline the rules applied to the Programme
3. Look at the RRF in action: how and where is the money spent?
4. Look forward to next year; what do we want from you? How do you secure funding for your
projects?
Issues that arose from the presentation:
Referring to the newsletter entitled Harnessing the Development Potential of Kenyans Living in
the United Kingdom, Dr. Othieno Nyanjom noted that one study has shown that 71% of Kenyans
living in the diaspora wanted to come back but they could not. According to him, such issue callsfor research.
According to Mr. Odipo, /FCO should work closely with the NCPD because it is the body
mandated to oversee all issues relating to migration.
Ms. Alice Kimani of the IOM had 3 issues of concern:
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i. What specific project ideas is BHC/FCO addressing in regard to human rights?
ii. Given that the IOM wants to come up with migration profile, will BHC/FCO be
interested in it?
iii. Are there any opportunities for the point systems geared towards curbing irregular
migration?
Responding to the third question Mr. Neil Roberts pointed out that there is an ongoing
sensitization to create awareness on the point systems. He added that the BHC/FCO supports
community-based projects that are geared towards integrating people from the diaspora into their
countries. He suggested that Alice and him could meet so as to discuss on the first two questions
because they were broad and needed an elaborate discussion.
Dr. K’Oyugi wanted to find out about the issue of the many legal identity documents (like the
national ID card, Passport, PIN, etc.) which are on the process of being unified and if there is any
country in sub-Saharan Africa which has attempted a comprehensive identification system. Mr.
Neil Roberts responded saying that Rwanda has made progress towards achieving it, although itseveral limitations have been known to be associated with it.
According to Prof. Oucho, it is important for AMADPOC to recruit young and upcoming
researchers as interns so that they can acquire the skills to undertake research. He added that the
development partners can make this a success if they insist on certain parameters (such as quality
of research).
In his concluding remarks, Mr. Neil Roberts stated that in the process of administering their
duties, they are faced by numerous challenges. That politicized policies pose a major challenge
especially in situations where organizations or institutions come up with projects with agendasalready set.
The Way Forward
Research should be focused
To effectively inform policy, quality data is required
There is need to go beyond Focused Group Discussions and consider Individual
Interviews, In-Depth interviews and Key Informant Interviews.
Develop research which can quantify the issues that are already being perceived and that
reflect attitudes.
In future, research should consider covering the whole of the EAC region.
Creation of institutions should be done carefully, with their main and desirable purposes
being Paramount.
The seminar gave a window of opportunity for further exploration of the subject.
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There is a need for collaboration between the respective countries to work with the
BHC/FCO, the NCPD and other development partners and address issues relating to
migration and diaspora, commissioning AMADPOC to undertake specific assignments.
Given that the banking sector has reviewed their policies so as to take into account the
diaspora, there is a need for them to share this information with the respective high
commissions or embassies.
The findings to be made available for all the stakeholders.
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ANNEX: LIST OF PARTICIPANTS
NAME TITLE AFFILIATION EMAIL CONT
1. Dr.Boniface O.
K’Oyugi
Director General National Council
for Population and
Development
bkoyu@ncpd_ke.org 0202716
2. Prof John O.
Oucho
Executive Director AMADPOC [email protected] 0202640
3. Neil Roberts 1 Seceratary (Migration) British high
commission
Nairobi
[email protected] 0202844
4. Dr.Linda Oucho Internships and Outreach
Coordinator
AMADPOC [email protected] 0202640
5. Dr.OmondiOdhiambo
Global Urban Observatory UN- Habitat [email protected]
0207624
6. Paul Kyemba V.P Ugandan in Kenya
Association
High Commission
Uganda
[email protected] 0208084
7.Tabitha I.Masinjila Director Regional
Integration
Ministry of East
African Community
[email protected] 0202245
8.Winstone N. Muchira Diaspora Relationship
Manager
Kenya Commercial
Bank
[email protected] 0202370
9.Grace Mgovano Tanzania High
Commission
[email protected] 0203119
10. Sarah Nakamya Second Seceretary Uganda High
Commission
[email protected] 0202217
11.George Odipo Associate Researcher Population Studies
and Research
Institute, University
of Nairobi
[email protected] 0727047
12.Dr. Eric Othieno
Nyanjom
Researcher KIPPRA otheieno_nyahoo.co.uk 0204936
13.Alice Kimani Counter Trafficking
Programme Officer
International
Organization for
Migration
[email protected] 0204444
14.Janet N. Mashara Inter n AMADPOC [email protected] 0202640
15. Beatrice K. Aosa Ministry of 0202252
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Planning
16.Rosemary Barasa Communications Officer AMADPOC [email protected] 0202640
17.Victor Osano Admin. Assistant AMADPOC [email protected] 0202640