Nairobi, Dec. 4 -- Without doubt, the Kenyan diaspora plays a vital role in the country's development and socio-economic transformation. This fact is underlined by the nearly Sh600 billion remittances they sent home last year.

The number of Kenyans overseas currently stands at an estimated 4 million, with most of them working in the Middle East and European countries. A good number are in the US, Asia, Latin America, Canada and Australia. In Africa, thousands of Kenyans are in South Africa, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.

Cognizant of the immense contribution that Kenyans abroad make to the country, the government has in the recent past put in place robust measures to safeguard their welfare and interests.

The labour mobility programmes a...