Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has pledged to give Kenyans living in the diaspora a greater role in the country's diplomatic service and political leadership should he become President after the 2027 General Election. Speaking during an engagement with clergy and Kenyans in Boston, Massachusetts, Gachagua said his administration would deliberately recruit qualified Kenyans living abroad to serve in the country's embassies and diplomatic missions. He argued that Kenyans who have lived and worked in foreign countries possess expertise, networks and local knowledge that could strengthen Kenya's diplomatic representation.
Gachagua, who leads the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP), said that where an ambassador is appointed from Kenya, his administration would seek to have the deputy drawn from the Kenyan community living in the host country. He cited the example of France, arguing that it would make little sense to appoint an ambassador without knowledge of French when qualified Kenyans fluent in the language are already living there. Gachagua described this approach as a way to ensure effective diplomatic representation.
Gachagua further pledged to establish at least three additional consulates, saying their locations would be determined through consultations with Kenyans living abroad rather than solely by officials in Nairobi. While acknowledging the financial implications of opening new missions, Gachagua said diaspora communities would be involved in determining areas with the greatest demand for consular services. He mentioned that Kenyans in Texas had already presented a strong case for a consulate.
The DCP leader also proposed outsourcing some consular services to accredited agents in cities with significant Kenyan populations, saying the arrangement would reduce the cost and inconvenience of travelling long distances to access government documents. Under the proposal, Kenyans would be able to apply for services including passports, national identification cards, birth certificates and marriage certificates through local centres linked to Kenyan diplomatic missions.
Gachagua also promised political representation for the diaspora through his party, saying DCP would reserve a parliamentary nomination slot for a representative of Kenyans living abroad. He further proposed diaspora representation in county assemblies where DCP secures sufficient nomination slots, arguing that Kenyans living in countries with established devolved or local governance systems could contribute their experience to strengthening devolution.
During the engagement, Gachagua described DCP as the country's most popular political party, attributing its growth to what he termed its philosophy of listening to citizens. He also claimed the party would secure a majority in the National Assembly and Senate and control more than 20 county assemblies after the 2027 elections. The remarks came during the Boston leg of Gachagua's extended tour of the United States.
Gachagua's tour of the United States, which started on October 1, has included meetings with Kenyans in the diaspora, religious leaders, investors and other groups. He arrived in Boston on October 1 after concluding engagements in Texas, with his published itinerary placing him in Massachusetts until October 9. Gachagua also proposed involving Kenyans abroad in marketing Kenyan products, including tea, coffee, avocados and macadamia nuts, with participants earning commissions from sales.
Key points
- Gachagua pledges to recruit qualified Kenyans living abroad to serve in the country's embassies and diplomatic missions.
- DCP would reserve a parliamentary nomination slot for a representative of Kenyans living abroad.
- Gachagua proposes outsourcing some consular services to accredited agents in cities with significant Kenyan populations.
