By Our Correspondent
The Kenya Diaspora Alliance has said it is developing a strategic investment blueprint aimed at guiding diaspora and local investors on cooperative-based investment opportunities in Kenya.
The organisation’s chairperson, Dr Shem Ochuodho, said the framework would be developed during an international investment conference scheduled for December, bringing together diaspora groups, cooperatives and other stakeholders.
He said the conference is expected to produce the Cooperative Engagement Action Plan (CEAP-2025), a document outlining proposed investment strategies, partnership models, policy recommendations and capacity-building initiatives focused on cooperative-led development.
According to the alliance, the meeting is expected to promote increased diaspora investment in Kenya’s cooperative sector and strengthen collaboration between diaspora groups, cooperatives and government institutions.
Dr Ochuodho said the conference will also seek to promote the use of cooperative models in sectors such as housing, agribusiness, financial technology and programmes targeting women and youth.
The discussions will take place during the 12th Annual Kenya Diaspora Homecoming, which the organisation described as a platform for diaspora engagement. Expected participants include representatives from government, the private sector, development partners, academia and civil society.
This year’s theme, Cooperative Models for Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development, aligns with the United Nations designation of 2025 as the International Year of Cooperatives.
The alliance said the conference will examine how diaspora-led or diaspora-supported cooperative models can contribute to economic transformation and inclusive growth.
Dr Ochuodho cited diaspora remittances of about $4.94 billion in 2025, saying they underscore the sector’s role in national development. He said cooperative structures in areas such as housing, agribusiness, finance, manufacturing and technology could provide scalable investment frameworks.
He added that Kenya’s cooperative sector has a long history in agribusiness, housing and finance, and could support the country’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda by promoting inclusive and sustainable growth.
The alliance said channeling diaspora remittances through cooperative frameworks, including SACCOs, investment clubs and joint ventures, could help mobilise capital while addressing development challenges and supporting innovation.