Governor Rotich Applauds Kenyan Diaspora in Australia, Announces Diaspora Investment Desk for Elgeyo Marakwet
Elgeyo Marakwet Governor Wisley Rotich has wrapped up a week-long working tour of Australia with high praise for the Kenyan diaspora, hailing their contributions to entrepreneurship, academic excellence, and the nation’s global image.
Governor Rotich visited five major Australian cities—Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, and Adelaide—as well as the Northern Territory, where he held a series of consultative forums with Kenyan professionals, students, and entrepreneurs. Speaking at the final leg of his tour in Sydney, the governor described his engagements as “eye-opening and deeply inspiring.”
“In Sydney, one of the biggest cities on Earth, I met Kenyans from all walks of life doing great and magnificent things,” Governor Rotich said in a statement posted on his official Facebook page. “From students to real estate experts, healthcare providers to tech professionals and modern farmers—Kenyans are thriving.”
Among the standout moments of the tour were the academic accolades earned by two Kenyan students, Lornah Jerono and Muthoni, who were honored as top graduates during an international graduation ceremony. “It was a proud moment to see them addressing the congregation as best students,” Rotich remarked, adding that Kenyan students continue to earn the respect of academic institutions and employers alike in Australia.
Source @The Kenyan Diaspora News
The governor also visited several diaspora-run institutions and businesses, including Ausicare College, Tunza Care, and Veli Healthcare—testaments, he said, to the resilience and innovation of Kenyans living abroad. In a virtual meeting with a Kenyan dairy farmer based in New Zealand, Rotich applauded the integration of modern agriculture practices and the potential for bilateral knowledge exchange.
“These stories are not just a source of pride—they are proof of the golden hands we possess as Kenyans,” he said. “This kind of brilliance must be harnessed back home.”
In a bold policy move aimed at tapping into diaspora potential, the governor announced plans to establish a Diaspora Liaison Office within Elgeyo Marakwet County. The office will serve as a central desk to support Kenyans abroad in investing back home, with targeted opportunities in agro-processing, real estate, hospitality, software development, and smart agriculture.
“We want to create a secure, diligent, and transparent environment that encourages our diaspora to invest proudly in the County of Champions,” said Rotich.
To formalize this initiative, the Elgeyo Marakwet County Government is drafting a bill that will set out clear frameworks and incentives for diaspora investment within the forthcoming county industrial park—a flagship project envisioned to spur economic growth and job creation.
Rotich was accompanied throughout the tour by Kenya’s High Commissioner to Australia, Amb. Dr. Wilson Kogo, underscoring the Kenyan government’s commitment to diaspora engagement.
In closing, the governor expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Kenyan community in Australia for their hospitality, vision, and role in strengthening ties between the diaspora and the homeland.
“The diaspora is not just part of our future; it is the engine of hope for a better Kenya,” he concluded.
