Report On Participation In The Diaspora Mobile Consular Service Exercise In Hong Kong, 2024

THENATIONALASSEMBLY

THIRTEENTHPARLIAMENT-FOURTHSESSION-2025 DEPARTMENTALCOMMITTEEONDEFENCE,INTELLIGENCEANDFOREIGN RELATIONS

REPORTONPARTICIPATIONINTHEDIASPORAMOBILECONSULARSERVICE (MCS)EXERCISEINHONGKONG,FROM22NDTO24THAPRIL,2024

AUGUST,2025

CLERK'SCHAMBERS DIRECTORATEOFDEPARTMENTALCOMMITTEES PARLIAMENTBUILDINGS NAIROBI

HATIONAL ASSEMBLY

TABLEOFCONTENTS

| TABLEOFCONTENTS. | |--------------------------------------------| | CHAIRPERSON'SFOREWORD | | 1.0PREFACE | | 1.1INTRODUCTION | | 1.2MANDATEOFTHECOMMITTEE | | 1.3 OVERSIGHT | | 1.4COMMITTEEMEMBERSHIP. | | 1.5COMMITTEESECRETARIAT h | | 1.6COMMITTEEDELEGATION C | | 2.0MOBILECONSULARSERVICESINHONGKONG | | 2.1BACKGROUNDINFORMATION. | | 2.2MOBILECONSULARSERVICEACTIVITYINHONGKONG | | 2.2.3CHALLENGESDURINGMCSACTIVITYINHONGKONG | | 3.0OBSERVATIONS 10 | | 4.0RECOMMENDATIONS |

CHAIRPERSON'SFOREWORD

This is the report of the Delegation of Members of the Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations who participated in the Mobile Consular Services (MCS) Forum in Hong Kong, from 22nd to 24th April, 2024. The Delegation's participation in the Exercise was by invitation from the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, State Department for Diaspora Affairs. The objective of the MCS Exercise was to meet with the Kenyans living in China and specifically those in Hong Kong to assess the success, efficacy and viability of the mobile consular services.

The consular services availed for the Kenyan Diaspora Community in Hong Kong and Asia in general were: Passport application and renewals; National ID registration; Document Attestation; Birth Certificate Registration; and Regaining of Kenyan Citizenship.

Following the involvement of the Delegation during the exercise, it was observed that many Kenyans in China endured difficulties due to communication barriers. This was evident especially for students, employees and the business fraternity.

Kenyan teachers who had sought teaching opportunities in China were unable to gain employment as the profession was a preserve of the local professionals. There was need to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Kenya and China to allow Kenyan teachers to access teaching opportunities in China.

Further, the location of the Chancery for the Honorary Consulate in Hong was not appropriate as the floor also housed other private offices. There is need for the Government of Kenya to set up a fullyfledged Consulate in Hong Kong and deploy Diaspora/Consular officers to serve Kenyans living there.

In order to address the high un-employment rate in Kenya, the State Department for Diaspora Affairs in liaison with the Ministry of Labour should partner with potential employers in China so as to secure employment of not only theKenyan Diaspora but also of Kenyans back home.

For purposes of reaching many Kenyans living in the far flung regions of China, the State Department for Diaspora Affairs should hold webinars with the Kenyan Diaspora in China for the purposes of creating awareness of savings and investment opportunities back home. Similarly, Kenyans in the Chinese Diaspora would also be in a position to report any challenges they could be facing.

It was further noted that the Government of Kenya does not have a clear program to reintegrate Kenyans studying abroad as well as for the ones whose contracts had ended. A reintegration program would go a long way in ensuring that these Kenyans can transfer their knowledge, skills and expertise.

Pursuant to Standing Order 199(6), it is my pleasant duty to present to the House the Report of the Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations on its participation in the MCS Exercise in Hong Kong, from 22nd to 24th April, 2024.

Hon.Nelson Koech,CBS,MP

1.0PREFACE

1.1 Introduction

1. This is the report of a delegation of the Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations on its participation in the Mobile Consular Service (MCS) Activity in Hong Kong from 22nd to 24h April,2024. 2. The participation in the MCS Activity provided not only an opportunity for the Committee to carry out its oversight mandate on the utilization of theresources allocated to the State Department for Diaspora Affairs but also a chance to understand the challenges faced during the activity. The participation informed the delegation to make recommendations that would lead to future improvements.

1.2MandateoftheCommittee

3. The Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations is one of the twenty (20) Departmental Committees of the National Assembly established under Standing Order 216. The functions and mandate of the Committee include, among others, to: 2. b) study thc programme and policy objectives of Ministrics and departments and thc effectivenessoftheimplementation;

• a) investigate, inquire into, and report on all matters relating to the mandate, management, activities, administration, operations and cstimates of the assigned Ministries and departments;

4. on a quarterly basis, monitor and report on the implemcntation of the national budget in respect ofits mandate;

• d) study, asscss and analyze thc rclative success of the Ministrics and departments as measured by the results obtained as compared with their stated objectives;

6. e investigate and inquire into all matters relating to the assigned Ministries and departments 4. The Second Schedule to the National Assembly Standing Orders assigns the Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations the mandate to consider matters related to Defence,intelligence,foreign relations,diplomatic and consular services,international boundariesincludingterritorialwaters,internationalrelations,andveteranaffairs.

1.3 Oversight

5. In executing its mandate, the Committee oversight the following MDAs: the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the State Department for Foreign Affairs (SDFA),the State Department for Diaspora Affairs (SDDA), the State Department for East African Community (SDEAC) and the National Intelligence Service (NIS).

1.4 Committee Membership

4. The Committee was constituted by the House on 27th October, 2022 and comprises the following Members and further reconstituted on 6th March 2025 comprising the following Members:

Chairperson Hon. Koech Nelson, CBS, M.P. Belgut Constituency UDA Party

Vice-Chairperson

Hon.Maj.(Rtd.) Sheikh Abdullahi Bashir,M.P.

Mandera North Constituency

UDM Party

Members

Hon.WanjiraMarthaWangari,CBS,M.P. Gilgil Constituency UDA Party

Hon. Joshua Kandie, M.P. Baringo Central Constituency UDA Party

Hon. Hassan Abdi Yusuf, CBS, M.P. Kamkunji Constituency Jubilee Party

Hon. Kwenya Thuku Zachary, M.P. Kinangop Constituency Jubilee Party

Hon.OdhiamboMillieG.Akoth,CBSM.P. Suba North Constituency ODM Party

Hon. Logova Sloya Clement, M.P. Sabatia Constituency UDA Party

Hon. Kanchory Elijah Memusi, M.P. Kajiado Central Constituency ODM Party

Hon.IkanaFredrick Lusuli,M.P. Shinyalu Constituency ANC Party

Hon. (Dr.) Kasalu Irene Muthoni, M.P. Kitui County

Hon. Mohamed A. Hussein, M.P. Lagdera Constituency ODM Party

WDM-K

Hon. Kirima Moses Nguchine, M.P. Imenti Central Constituency UDA Party

Hon.Teresia Wanjiru Mwangi, M.P. NominatedMember UDA Party

Hon. Luyai Caleb Amisi, M.P. Saboti Constituency ODM Party

1.5CommitteeSecretariat

7.The Committee is facilitated by the following staff:

Mr. Dennis Mogare Ogechi FirstClerkAssistant/HeadofSecretariat

Ms. Clarah Kimeli

Mr. Bernard Njeru

Principal Legal Counsel II

ClerkAssistantIII

Mr. Salat Ali

Mr.Machuki E.Mwebi

PrincipleSerjeant-at-ArmsII

Fiscal Analyst III

Ms.Noelle Chelagat

Mr. Lenny Muchangi

MediaRelationsOfficerII

Legal Counsel II

Mr. John Nganga

Mr. Martin Sigei

Audio Recording Officer I

Research OfficerIII

Ms.Faith Malala

Mr.AlexAmwata

Public Communications Officer

Hansard Reporter

1.6 Committee Delegation

8. The delegation comprised of: 2. 1)Hon.JoshuaKandie,MP -Leader of Delegation

• 2) Hon. Moses N. Kirima, MP

4. 3)Mr.Daniel Mutunga-DeputyDirector&DelegationSecretary

2.0MOBILECONSULARSERVICES-HONGKONG

2.1 Background Information

• 9.Access to Government Services is a Constitutional right to every Kenyan citizen. Due to the distance of diverse locations,theKenyanDiaspora at times finds it a challenge for them to have access to critical government services like documentation (National Identity Cards and Passports). National Identity Cards aremajorly needed by second-generation immigrants who are eighteen (18) years old and above while Passports are majorly required by first-generation immigrants, as well as undocumentedKenyans,whoneed toreplace their prior passports.

10. In the past, the Government has provided these services through the missions with varying levels hasnotbeen adequatelymet due to challenge of accesstothe central registry and technological lagsinthee-Citizenplatformoccasioned bytimedifferences.Itison thisbasisthat theState Department for Diaspora Affairs (SDDA) initiated a program to provide Mobile Consular Services (MCS) to the Kenyan Diaspora, as per a Presidential Directive issued by the President H.E.(Dr.)William Samoei Rutoin December 2022.This directive mandates the relevant Ministries responsible for managing the Kenyan Diaspora to address their needs, acknowledging their significance to theKenyan economy.

• 11.The SDDA has in place Mobile Consular Units (MCUs)that work closely with the State Department forImmigration and Citizen Services in taking the needed services to the Kenyan Diaspora.

12. The services offered to the Diaspora during the Mobile consular services (MCS) include: Identity Cards (ID) application and replacement; Passport application, renewal and replacement; Birth certificate application and replacement; Certificate of Good Conduct application; Marriage Certificate application; Document Attestation; Declaration of Dual Citizenship; Police Clearance Certificate; and Emergency Travel Certificate. 13. Since the inception of the MCS Activity, the SDDA has had three Phases for the activity:

• (i)Phase 1 (January - July 2023)-Covered eight (8) Countries (New Zealand, Australia, United Kingdom, Qatar, Brazil, Oman, Canada and United States of America). In this phase a total of5,549Kenyanswere attended to as summarized in table 1.

Table 1: Summary of number of services offered during MCSPhase 1 (January-July 2023)

| Service | Passport Renewal | New ID Application | Application For Citizenship | Application for Birth Certificate | Document Attestation | Declaration of Dual Citizenship | Police Clearance | Emergency Travel Certificate | Total | |---------------------|--------------------|----------------------|-------------------------------|-------------------------------------|------------------------|-----------------------------------|--------------------|--------------------------------|---------| | No.of3,699 Services | | 1,631 | 62 | 130 | 2 | 20 | 4 | 1 | 5,549 |

Source:StateDepartmentforDiasporaAffairs-MCSPhaseI

• (ii)Phase 1I(July-December 2023)-Covered fifteen (15)countries namely Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, France, Germany, Belgium, Japan, United States and South Korea. At the time of writing this report, the SDDA had not published the numbers. That notwithstanding, the Committee had an opportunity toconduct an oversightvisitfor theMCSActivities for theTokyo and Osaka cities inJapan.In addition,information of the MCS offered in South Korea was shared and a summary of thenumber ofservices offered inJapan andSouthKoreais summarized in table 2.

Table 2:Summary of the number of services offered during MCSPhase II (Japan&SouthKorea)

| Details | Identification Documents (IDs) | Passport Application/Renewal | Certificate of Good Conduct | Birth Certificate | Total | |-------------|----------------------------------|--------------------------------|-------------------------------|---------------------|---------| | Japan | 19 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 21 | | Tokyo | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | | Osaka | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | | South Korea | 19 | 8 | 11 | 1 | 39 | | Seoul | 17 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 31 | | Busan | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 8 | | Total | 38 | 10 | 11 | | 60 |

Source:StateDepartmentforDiasporaAffairs-MCSPhaseI

Table 3: Summary of number of services offered during MCS Phase III (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou&HongKong)

| NO | SERVICE | BEIJING | SHANGHAI | GUANGZOU | HONG KONG | TOTAL | |--------------------|-------------------------------|-----------|------------|------------|-------------|---------| | 1 | ID Application Updating | 13 | 20 | 23 | 11 | 67 | | 2 | Passport Application& Renewal | 10 | 3 | 18 | 9 | 40 | | 3 | Birth Certificate | 0 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 7 | | 4 | Certificate .J0 Good Conduct | 2 | 12 | 5 | 0 | 61 | | 5 | Legal Aid | 0 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 9 | | 6 | Psycho-socio Services | 1 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 16 | | 7 | Application Dual Citizenship | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | | 8 | Certificate of no Impediment | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | | SUB-TOTAL | SUB-TOTAL | 26 | 52 | 55 | 27 | | | TOTALNO.OFSERVICES | TOTALNO.OFSERVICES | 160 | 160 | 160 | 160 | 160 |

Source:StateDepartmentforDiasporaAffairs-MCSPhaseIV

2.2MOBILECONSULARSERVICEACTIVITYINHONGKONG

2.2.1 Hong Kong (22nd, 23rd and 24th April, 2024)

14. The Mobile Consular Services Activity took place at the Kenya Honorary Chancery, Room 1201A 12/F, Tower 1, Admiralty Centre, 18 Harcourt Road, Hong Kong between 23rd and 24th April, 2024. 15. From table 3, a total of twenty-seven (27) services were offered in Hong Kong which included ID application & updating (11), Passport application & renewal (9) birth certificate application (1), legal aid (1) and psycho-social services (5). This Activity took place at the Kenya Honorary Consulate in Hong Kong.

2.2.2 Challenges during MCS Activity in Hong Kong

16. The challenges encountered during the MCS Activity in Hong Kong included: 2. 1)e-Citizen related challenges: 3. (i) A number of Kenyans experienced challenges with accessing their portals on e-Citizen due to system failure. 4. (ii) The system is not Diaspora-friendly in that it requires local Kenyan addresses i.e., estate and village. 5. (iv) The system is not credit/debit cards friendly: this forced theDiaspora applicants to wait for people back home to start their day and request them to pay via M-Pesa because the systemdeclinedmostcredit/debitcards. 6. (iii) Uploading of documents to the e-Citizen platform was lengthy, erratic and unreliable. 7. (v) Non response from the official email support@e-Citizen.go.ke: it was rarely answered. Moreover, due to the time difference between Kenya and Hong Kong, the officers providing the services were forced to wait for their Kenyan counterparts to get to the office,for the issue athand tobehandled. 8. (vi) Due to a lot of services being loaded onto the system, it would be non-responsive for some minutes which really delayed the process of application and upload of the required documentation. 9. (vii) Some Kenyans who turned up for the services had neither filled the requisite forms nor made copies of their documents hence leading to delays in theprovision of services. 10. (viii) Other Kenyans who had neither linked their Visa cards to online payment systems nor used M-Pesa had a challenge with paying for services on e-Citizen. 11. 2)Budgetary constraints:Inadequate budgetary allocations to the StateDepartment of Diaspora Affairs contributed to inefficiencies and poor service delivery to Kenyan Citizens living in the Diaspora. 12. 3) Use of outdated technique in fingerprint capture: The National Registration Bureau still uses the manual ink-rolled fingerprint capture for ID applications which is an outdated way of capturingfingerprints.

• 4) A number of Kenyans experienced challenges with accessing their portals on e-Citizen due to system failure.

4.0OBSERVATIONS

17. Having participated in the MCS Exercisc in Hong Kong, the delegation made the following observations:

• 1) The National Registration Bureau (NRB) was still using manual ink-rolled fingerprint capture for IDapplicationswhichisanoutdatedwayofcapturingfingerprints.
• 2) The Mobile Consular Services program was highly commended by the Kenyans in China with majority lauding the efforts of the State Department for Diaspora Affairs in ensuring that the DiasporareceivedthevitalGovernmentservices.

4. 3)The turn-out for the exercise was low. The Kenyans who participated in the exercise decried the vastness ofthe region and the high travel costs thathindered manyfrom travellingfor the exercise. The State Department for Diaspora Affairs also attributed this to a number of facilitation challenges. 5. 4)Kenyans who turncd up acccsscd the much-needcd consular serviccs with IDs and passports being the most sought after.

• 5) Through the MCS, most Kenyan Diaspora living in Hong Kong got to meet and interact with the Embassy staff for the first time.

7. 6)Some Kenyans living in Hong Kong were secking asylum.

5.0RECOMMENDATIONS

• 18.The delegationmade thefollowing recommendations:
• 1)The State Department for Diaspora Affairs should ensure budgeting and funding for MCS activitiesisalwaysfinalizedbeforetheexecutionof anactivitytoavoidfacilitation challenges. It is crucial to ensure that the officers involved are supported in conducting the exercise, including receiving their allowances before the activity.
• 2)The National Treasury should:
• a) Resolve the payment limitations on the e-Citizen platform regarding ability to use debit andcreditcards.
• b) platform.
• Revamp/upgrade the e-Citizen platform in order to enable it to handle the load of services itismeanttohandle.
• d) Make e-Citizen more user-friendly for people living abroad; for instance, when choosing a nation of residency, the drop-down menu should only show locations inside that country.
• 3)Livefingerprint capture for Identity Card applications needs to be accelerated by the National Registration Bureau. This will greatly speed up data capture and enhance accuracy thereby reducingrejections.
• 4)There is need for Diaspora Associations to be formed in China.The State Department should consider holding a Diaspora Engagement Forum in a central place in China which will bring them together and one of thekey issues to stress should be theformation of theAssociations. Considering howbig China is, those Associations could be formed at the Provinces levels.
• 5) Kenyan Embassy in Beijing should have a streamlined and updated database of Kenyans in China. This would not only help in the mapping of the Diaspora but also enhance communication between the Kenya Government and Kenyan Diaspora in the host country.
• 6)The StateDepartment forImmigration and Citizen Services should consider updating the software of the passport registration kits especially those being used by the Immigration Attaches'in theKenyan Missions abroad.
• 7) The National Registration Bureau should consider getting digital mobile ID registration kits. Thiswould enhance efficiency and reduce the challenges that comewith the effects ofweather on the ink (for instance freezing) used in the manual capturing of biometrics.
• 8)TheNational RegistrationBureau should enhance awareness about the new digital IDs that are currently being rolled out since most Kenyan Diaspora barely have information about them.

• 9)TheStateDepartment for Immigration and CitizenServices should considerhavingmultiple modes of payment on the e-Citizen.
• 10) There is need for the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) to be included in the next MCS phase since manyKenyans in China had asked for their services especially on the authentication of their Kenyan Driving liccnscs for them to be able to apply for those of the host country.

11) Kenyans in the Diaspora should be encouraged to effectively file and backup their documents

forcasyretrievalshouldneed arisc.

12) The Kenyan Diaspora should be sensitized on the importance of cyber security especially in

the e-Citizen. Account ownership and logins credentials should be emphasized during the

sensitization.

• 13) Including an e-Citizen officer in the next MCS phase would be very helpful especially when a challenge related to the portal arises.

SIGNED:..

.....DATE...

HON.NELSONKOECH,CBS,MP CHAIRPERSON,DEPARTMENTALCOMMITTEEONDEFENCE,INTELLIGENCE ANDFOREIGNRELATIONS

REPUBLICOFKENYA THENATIONALASSEMBLY 13THPARLIAMENT-FOURTHSESSION-2025

DEPARTMENTAL COMMITTEE ONDEFENCE,INTELLIGENCE,AND FOREIGNRELATIONS.

REPORTADOPTIONLIST

REPORT ON:

PARTICIPATION IN THE DIASPORA MOBILE CONSULAR SERVICE (MCS) EXERCISEINHONGKONG,FROM22NDTO 24THAPRIL,2024

We,Members of theDepartmental Committee onDefence,Intelligence,andForeignRelations,have pursuant toStancding Order 199, adopted this Report and affix our signatures to affirm our approval and confirmitsaccuracy,validityand authenticitytoday,Tuesday29thJuly,2025

| | NAME | SIGNATURE | |-----|----------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------| | 1. | The Hon. Koech Nclson, CBS, M.P. (Chairperson) | | | 2. | The Hon.Maj. (Rtd.) Sheikh Abdullahi Bashir, M.P. (Vice Chairperson) | | | 3. | The Hon. Yusuf Hassan Abdi, CBS, M.P. | | | 4. | The Hon. Wanjira Martha Wangari, CBS, M.P. | | | 5. | The Hon.Odhiambo Millie Grace Akoth, CBS, M.P. | | | 6. | The Hon. Kanchory Elijah Memusi, M.P. | | | 7. | The Hon. (Dr.) Kasalu Irene Muthoni, M.P.. | | | 8. | The Hon. Kirima Moses Nguchine, M.P. | | | 9. | The Hon. Kandie Joshua Chepyegon, M.P. | | | 10. | The Hon. Kwenya Thuku Zachary, M.P. | | | 11. | The Hon. Luyai Caleb Amisi, M.P. | | | 12. | The Hon. Muratha Anne Wanjiku, M.P. | | | 13. | The Hon. Logova Sloya Clement, M.P. | | | 14. | The Hon. Ikana Fredrick Lusuli, M.P. | | | 15. | The Hon. Mohamed Abdikadir Hussein, M.P. | |

THENATIONALASSEMBLY

13THPARLIAMENT -FOURTHSESSION (2025) DIRECTORATEOFDEPARTMENTALCOMMITTEES DC-DEFENCE,INTELLIGENCEANDFOREIGNRELATIONS

MINUTES OF THE 39TH SITTING OF THE DEPARTMENTAL COMMITTEE ON DEFENCE, INTELLIGENCE, AND FOREIGN RELATIONS HELD ON TUESDAY, 29TH JULY 2025 AT NOONIN BUNGE TOWER,2ND FLOOR,COMMITTEE ROOM 15, PARLIAMENTBUILDINGS.

PRESENT

• 1.The Hon.Maj. (Rtd.) Sheikh Abdullahi Bashir, M.P.

2. The Hon. Wanjira Martha Wangari, CBS, M.P. 3. The Hon.OdhiamboMillie Grace Akoth,CBS,M.P 4. The Hon.Yusuf Hassan Abdi, CBS, M.P 5. The Hon. Kanchory Elijah Memusi, M.P 6. The Hon. (Dr.) Kasalu Irene Muthoni, M.P 8. The Hon. Kandie Joshua Chepyegon, M.P. 7. The Hon. Kirima Moses Nguchine, M.P. 9. The Hon. Kwenya Thuku Zachary, M.P

• 10.The Hon.Ikana Fredrick Lusuli, M.P
• 11.TheHon.Mohamed AbdikadirHussein,M.P.

APOLOGIES

1. The Hon. Koech Nelson, CBS, M.P. 2. The Hon. Luyai Caleb Amisi, M.P. 3. The Hon. Muratha Anne Wanjiku, M.P. 4. The Hon. Logova Sloya Clement, M.P.

INATTENDANCE

NATIONALASSEMBLY

1. Mr. Dennis Ogechi

ClerkAssistantI

2. Mr. Bernard Nthiga

ClerkAssistantIII

3. Mr.Abdi Salat

Principal Serjeant At-Arms II

4. Ms. Noelle Chelagat

MediaRelationsOfficerII

5. Mr.Alex Amwata

Hansard Reporter II

6. Mr. Martin Sigei

Research OfficerIII

7. Mr.Shadrack Kimutai

• ResearchIntern

8. Ms. Ryan Kipsang

• Clerk Assistant Intern

Vice-Chairperson

Chairperson

AGENDA

• 1.Preliminaries -Prayers, Adoption of the Agenda

2. Communication from the Chair 3. Confirmation of minutes of thepreviousmeeting 4. Consideration and Adoption of a Report on Participation in the Diaspora Mobile Consular Service (MCS) Exercise in Hong Kong, from 22nd to 24th April, 2024. 6. Adjournment/Date of the next Sitting

• 5.Any Other Business

MIN.NO.DDC/DIFR/201/2025:

PRELIMINARIES

The meeting was called to order at 12:10 p.m., and a prayer was said. The agenda above was unanimously adopted, having been proposed by Hon. Wanjira Martha Wangari, CBS, M.P. and seconded by Hon. Ikana Fredrick Lusuli, M.P.

MIN.NO.DDC/DIFR/202/2025

COMMUNICATIONFROMTHECHAIR

The Chairperson informed the Committee of thefollowing:

1. The Commitee was in receipt of a written response to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs on a statement requested by Hon. Machua Waithaka, MP for Kiambu on the disappearance of Mr. Reuben Barua, a Kenyan, in the United States of America. 2. The Committee was in receipt of a correspondence from the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs inviting Hon. Nelson Koech, CBS, MP, Chairperson, Defence, Intelligence and ForeignRelations toa luncheon atStateHouse,Nairobi,onWednesday,30hJuly 2025from 1300hrs.

MIN.NO.DDC/DIFR/203/2025:

CONFIRMATION OFMINUTES OF PREVIOUSSITTINGS.

TheMinutesof the37hSittingwere confirmed as a truerecord of the Committeeproceedings, having been proposed by Hon. Kanchory Elijah Memusi, M.P. and seconded by Hon. Maj. (Rtd.) Sheikh Abdullahi Bashir,M.P.

The Minutes of the 38"h Sitting were confirmed as a true record of the Committee proceedings, having been proposed by Hon. Wanjira Martha Wangari, CBS, M.P. and seconded by Hon. Kanchory Elijah Memusi, M.P.

MIN.NO.DDC/DIFR/204/2025:

CONSIDERATIONANDADOPTIONOF AREPORTONPARTICIPATIONIN THEDIASPORAMOBILECONSULAR SERVICE (MCS) EXERCISE IN HONG KONG, FROM 22ND TO 24TH APRIL, 2024.

The Report onParticipation in theDiaspora Mobile Consular Service(Mcs)Exercise inHong Kong, was adopted having been proposed by Hon. Kandie Joshua Chepyegon, M.P., and seconded by Hon.Ikana Fredrick Lusuli, M.P.

心

It was adopted with the following observations and recommendations:

OBSERVATIONS

The Committee observed that:

1. The National Registration Bureau (NRB) was still using manual ink-rolled fingerprint capture for ID applications which is an outdated way of capturing fingerprints. 3. The turn-out for the exercise was low. The Kenyans who participated in the exercise decried thevastness of the region and the high travel costs that hindered many from travelling for the exercise. The State Department for Diaspora Affairs also attributed this to a number of facilitation challenges. 2. The Mobile Consular Services program was highly commended by the Kenyans in China with majority lauding the efforts of the State Department for Diaspora Affairs in ensuring that the Diaspora received the vital Government services. 4. Kenyans who turned up accessed the much-needed consular services with IDs and passports being the most sought after. 5. Through the MCS, most Kenyan Diaspora living in Hong Kong got to meet and interact with theEmbassystafffor thefirst time. 6. Some Kenyans living in Hong Kong were seeking asylum.

RECOMMENDATIONS

TheCommitteerecommended that:

• 1.The State Department for Diaspora Affairs should ensure that budgeting and funding for MCSactivities is alwaysfinalizedbeforetheexecution of an activityto avoidfacilitation challenges. It is crucial to ensure that the officers involved are supported in conducting the exercise, including receiving their allowances before the activity.

2. The National Treasury should:

• a)Resolve the payment limitations on the e-Citizen platform regarding the ability to use debitand creditcards.
• b Ensure a prompt and responsive 24-hour customer service support for the e-Citizen platform.
• Revamp/upgrade the e-Citizen platform in order to enable it to handle the load of servicesitismeanttohandle.
• (P Make e-Citizen more user-friendly for people living abroad; for instance, when choosing a nation of residency, the drop-down menu should only show locations inside that country.

3. Live fingerprint capture for Identity Card applications needs to be accelerated by the National Registration Bureau. This will greatly speed up data capture and enhance accuracy thereby reducing rejections.

• 4.There is need for Diaspora Associations to be formed in China. The State Department should consider holding a Diaspora Engagement Forum in a central place in China which will bring them together and one of the key issues to stress should be the formation of the Associations. Considering how big China is, those Associations could be formed at the Provinces levels.

5. Kenyan Embassy in Beijing should have a streamlined and updated database of Kenyans in China. This would not only help in the mapping of the Diaspora but also enhance communicationbetween theKenyanGovernment and Kenyan Diasporain the host country. 2. 6.The State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services should consider updating the software of the passport registration kits especially those being used by the Immigration Attaches'intheKenyanMissionsabroad. 3. kits.Thiswould enhance efficiency and reduce the challenges that come with the effects of weather on the ink(for instance,freezing) used in the manual capturing of biometrics. 4. 8.The National Registration Bureau should enhance awareness about the new digital IDs that are currently being rolled out since most Kenyan Diaspora barely have information about them. 9. The State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services should consider having multiple modes of payment on the e-Citizen. 10. There is need for the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) to be included in the next MCS phase since many Kenyans in China had asked for their services, especially on the authentication of their Kenyan Driving licenses for them to be able to apply for those of thehost country. 11. Kenyans in the Diaspora should be encouraged to effectively file and backup their documents for easy retrieval should need arise. 12. The Kenyan Diaspora should be sensitized on the importance of cybersecurity especially in the e-Citizen. Account ownership and logins credentials should be emphasized during thesensitization. 13. Including an e-Citizen officer in the next MCS phase would be very helpful especially when a challenge related to the portal arises.

MIN.NO.DDC/DIFR/205/2025:

ADJOURNMENTANDDATEOFNEXT MEETING.

The meeting was adjourned at 12:56 p.m. The next meeting will be held on notice.

SIGNED: ....

.....DATE....

THEHON.NELSONKOECH,CBS,M.P. CHAIRPERSON,DEPARTMENTAL COMMITTEE ONDEFENCE,INTELLIGENCE ANDFOREIGNRELATIONS.