Parliamentary Budget Office projects Sh40 million annual revenue from Diaspora Citizenship Bill
The revenue will stem from the estimated four million Kenyans living in the diaspora, with a small percentage, 0.01 per cent, of them expected to apply for Kenyan citizenship each year.
The Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) has projected that the proposed Kenya Citizenship and Immigration (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which aims to allow individuals born outside Kenya with Kenyan ancestry to apply for citizenship, could generate Sh40 million annually for the government if enacted into law.
According to PBO, the revenue will stem from the estimated four million Kenyans living in the diaspora, with a small percentage, 0.01 per cent, of them expected to apply for Kenyan citizenship each year.
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“The number of Kenyans in the diaspora is approximately four million. It is assumed that 0.01 per cent are not registered Kenyans by ancestry and will apply every year seeking Kenyan citizenship,” reads the PBO report.
The PBO analysis further estimates that in the second and third years of implementation, the Bill could raise Sh41 million and Sh42 million respectively, based on the assumption that the application cost for citizenship, set at Sh100,000 for dependents and children of Kenyan citizens, would remain consistent.
“It is provided that the cost of citizenship application for dependents and children of Kenyan citizens is Sh100,000 as gazetted by the Cabinet Secretary responsible for immigration services. It is therefore estimated that the cost of such an application for their descendants will also be Sh100,000,” reads the report.
The PBO also notes that the number of Kenyans in the diaspora is expected to grow at a rate of two per cent annually, which would increase the pool of potential applicants over time.
The Bill, currently under review by the Budget and Appropriations Committee, seeks to enable individuals born outside Kenya but with Kenyan descent to apply for citizenship, subject to various conditions. These include verification of ancestry, proof of no criminal convictions or imprisonment exceeding six months, evidence of reasonable financial resources, and the ability to contribute significantly to Kenya’s development through investments or other ventures.
“The conditions are put so as to deter an influx of criminals in the country who will not add any economic value,” reads the report.
The Bill further proposes that genetic genealogy be used to establish the applicant’s ancestry. This process combines DNA testing with genealogical and historical records to verify biological relationships.
Similar provisions allowing citizenship by ancestry exist in other countries, including Ireland, Italy, and Nigeria.
“Individuals with Irish ancestry who were born outside of Ireland may be eligible to obtain Irish Citizenship through a process known as Foreign Birth Registration (FBR),” the PBO explains.
“In some cases, even great-grandparents can be considered, provided your parents registered before you were born.”
In Italy, citizenship is granted based on the principle of jus sanguinis, or “right of blood” which allows individuals with proven Italian ancestry to apply for citizenship, regardless of how many generations removed they are, as long as their lineage can be established.
The Bill, sponsored by Suba South MP Caroli Omondi, positions Kenya to potentially become the third country in Africa, after Ghana and Nigeria, to introduce such provisions for its diaspora.
The proposed law complements the constitutional provisions under Articles 15 and 16, which allow citizenship by registration and the retention of Kenyan citizenship even if another citizenship is acquired.
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By facilitating the acquisition of citizenship for individuals with Kenyan roots, Kenya aims not only to engage its global diaspora but also to harness the economic and developmental potential of those with deep historical and familial ties to the country.
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