Dissemination Seminar on the Perceptions and Attitudes of Citizens Towards Their Diaspora

7/31/2019 Dissemination Seminar on the Perceptions and Attitudes of Citizens Towards Their Diaspora

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/dissemination-seminar-on-the-perceptions-and-attitudes-of-citizens-towards 1/12

1

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.



2

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,



3

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 ?



4

- 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



5

• 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.



6

- 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



7

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



8

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:



9

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.



10

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.



11

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


7.Tabitha I.Masinjila Director Regional

Integration

Ministry of East

African Community


8.Winstone N. Muchira Diaspora Relationship

Manager

Kenya Commercial

Bank


9.Grace Mgovano Tanzania High

Commission


10. Sarah Nakamya Second Seceretary Uganda High

Commission


11.George Odipo Associate Researcher Population Studies

and Research

Institute, University

of Nairobi


12.Dr. Eric Othieno

Nyanjom

Researcher KIPPRA otheieno_nyahoo.co.uk 0204936

13.Alice Kimani Counter Trafficking

Programme Officer

International

Organization for

Migration


14.Janet N. Mashara Inter n AMADPOC [email protected] 0202640

15. Beatrice K. Aosa Ministry of 0202252



12

Planning

16.Rosemary Barasa Communications Officer AMADPOC [email protected] 0202640

17.Victor Osano Admin. Assistant AMADPOC [email protected] 0202640

Documents

Dissemination Seminar on the Perceptions and Attitudes of Citizens Towards Their Diaspora