The Politics of Migration and Development: Conceptualizing the 'Diaspora' and their Impact on Kenya’s Political Economy

Issues of migration and development have taken precedence as far as discussions on the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) is concerned. Increase in migration around the world as an attribute of globalization remains one of the main global phenomenon that continues to shape the world in the 21st century and beyond. There have been consolidated efforts to come up with an action plan that will closely reflect the common and diverging concerns and aspirations of African governments that have not been sufficiently heard in the deliberation on migration- and development related issues at the global level. One of its evident consequences that have gained prominence in such forums is the emergence of a large Diaspora from the South in the developed West. The role played by the Diaspora and migrants on political and economic issues as well as that of development of their homelands has been central to this debate. Diaspora inclusion on policy making as well as collaboration as strategic partners on political reform processes and national development remain an uphill task due to a yearning gap in knowledge on the concept of diaspora coupled with limited scholarly works to highlight this phenomenon. This thesis seeks to address this impediments by exploring the concept of diaspora and diasporic movements with a view to assert their true economic, political and social capital value as a subject with very little currently known. It explores the relevance or place of the Diaspora in the discourse of Kenya’s political economy with the aim of adding unto existing scholarly works while putting emphasis on existing gaps in order to serve as a reference for further research. Relevant data for this study has been located in the library of United States International University (USIU), a personal library, a number of academic orientations and a selection of conference reports, Government Library, Government records, World Bank publications, working papers, and some cautiously selected online sources.