Transnational Engagement in Education by the Kenyan Diaspora in the United States

Abstract

The Kenyan diaspora’s involvement in development has increasingly become an object of research and government policy. This paper explores the ways that members of the contemporary Kenyan diaspora in the United States participate in education-related activities ‘back home’, emphasising their motivation as well as barriers to and facilitators of their engagement. Findings from this mixed-method study of Kenyans living in the United States suggest that participants’ transnational activities related to education are diverse and directed towards individuals known to them and a wide range of institutions. Additionally, their engagement is mediated by personal circumstances, beliefs about the transformative power of education, and trust in existing structures. Furthermore, study participants are interested in increasing their level of educational engagement despite persistent institutional and structural barriers. The paper suggests measures that could enhance diaspora engagement in education in Kenya.