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Azimio-One Kenya presidential candidate Raila Odinga delivered a range of goodies to Kenyans living abroad during his shortened visit to the United States.

Raila, who has had to end his tour to attend the burial of former President Mwai Kibaki this Saturday, offered better treatment of Kenyans in the diaspora if elected the country’s fifth President in the August poll. He said he would increase the government’s presence in the US, promising more consulate offices for easier services.

Currently, Kenya has an embassy in Washington and two consulate offices in Los Angeles and New York. “We will open more consular missions; in Minnesota, Texas, Chicago, Colorado and more. That is easy, it will be done,” he said while addressing Kenyans in Washington DC. 

He said his administration would look into how those living abroad could channel their investments to Kenya without fear of exploitation. With better structures, he said, the diaspora could become investors, instead of the current expensive lenders.  

“We’ll create an office for diaspora investment. We want to work together to build a new Kenya; one that cares for all its citizens. I’m not looking for followers, I’m looking for partners; people we can partner in building the Kenya that our founding fathers wanted,” he said.

The battle for diaspora votes has intensified barely three months to the August 9 elections. Deputy President William Ruto was in the US in March to promote his presidential candidature.

 Source of foreign exchange

Central Bank of Kenya statistics show that Kenyans in the US remit close to Sh400 billion annually, providing a potential pool that could be tapped for economic development. 

“This phenomenal growth points to the importance of remittances as a source of foreign exchange, equivalent to more than 3 per cent of Kenya’s GDP,” CBK says.

Raila is accompanied by senior Azimio leaders. He explained the key things he intends to do if he wins the elections.

He said he would make sure children get the best education from lower to high levels, adding that the focus will be on enhancing skills to ensure easier acquisition of jobs. “Each and every child born in Kenya shall get equal opportunity, irrespective of the socio-economic status of the parents. They will get education from nursery, primary, secondary, tertiary, up to university level, depending on their ability. Once trained properly, they should be able to acquire meaningful jobs to earn proper salaries and transform their socio-economic status; not being told ‘Kazi ni kazi, sukuma wheelbarrow,’” Raila said.

Ruto has anchored his quest on a “Kazi ni kazi” slogan that aims to direct a chunk of government money to the bottom of the economic ladder to raise it up.  The symbol of Ruto’s UDA party is a wheelbarrow.

Raila also said he would make sure Kenyans get access to affordable healthcare, promising that all public health facilities would have adequate medicine.  

“We are talking about a Level-3 facility in each and every sub-county, then we go to Level-4, Level 5 and then Level-6 in each region. There must be doctors, nurses and medicine in all the facilities … they say people cannot afford care, but the answer is “Babacare”. 

It is universal healthcare. Each citizen will be under health insurance; those unable to pay the premiums, the government will help them,” he said.

He also narrated the attack he came under in Soy, Uasin Gishu, this month when his chopper was pelted with stones by during the burial of Eldoret icon Jackson Kibor.