Kenya’s US Diaspora Conference cancelled as focus shifts to Obama visit

What you need to know:

  • It was cancelled due to scarce resources as the Kenyan government has been involved in projects that involved funds that were initially earmarked for the conference.
  • The statement also states that future government engagements have targeted the resources allocated to the diaspora conference.
  • Focus is now on the 2015 Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) to be held in Nairobi in July.
  • The cancellation was announced as the Kenyan ambassador to the US, Mr Robinson Githae was on a tour of Dallas, Texas for a business forum.

The Kenyan embassy in the US has cancelled the 2015 Kenya Diaspora Conference.

In a statement released by the embassy in Washington DC, the conference was cancelled due to scarce resources as the Kenyan government has been involved in projects that involved funds that were initially earmarked for the conference.

The embassy stated that the government successfully hosted the Kenya Easter Diaspora Investment Conference in Nairobi from March 31, 2015 to April 2, 2015 which used substantial resources earmarked for engagement with the diaspora.

The statement also states that future government engagements have targeted the resources allocated to the diaspora conference.

Focus is now on the 2015 Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) to be held in Nairobi in July which the government of Kenya and the US have agreed to co-host.

FOCUS NOW ON OBAMA VISIT

The embassy said that it will be devoting most of its time and resources to logistical preparations and other arrangements for President Barrack Obama's historic visit.

In addition, the embassy states that after the GES, it will immediately commence making arrangements for several high-level events that will take place during the UN General Assembly as well as the World Bank annual meetings to be held in October.

The cancellation comes after two rival groups in Atlanta, Georgia where the conference was to held bitterly attacked each other claiming legitimacy to take on the preparations of the conference.

The squabbles took many Kenyans in the US by surprise as very few of them knew that Atlanta was to host this year's conference.

There was no official communication from the embassy as to whether Atlanta had been chosen as this year's host.

Earlier in the year, the embassy had invited members of the diaspora to share their opinions and recommendations on the most suitable venue in the United States to hold the 2015 Diaspora Conference.

The cancellation was announced as the Kenyan ambassador to the US, Mr Robinson Githae was on a tour of Dallas, Texas for a business forum.