Policies, Legal Framework and Strategic Management of Migration for Promoting Investment of Remittances in Kenya's Agricultural Sector.

This paper is based on findings of a study on migration, agriculture and food security in Kenya. The objective was to carry out a detailed analysis of existing policies and laws and institutional arrangements that support or hinder investment of remittances in Kenya and identify policy and legal reforms and capacity-building needs required in order to promote investment of remittances in the country’s agricultural sector. The methodology involved a comprehensive literature review followed by collection of relevant statistics from selected institutions, discussion with key stakeholders and senior staff of the institutions.
The study observes that there exists many investment regulations; however, they are general in nature. The existing laws, policies and legal frameworks are also not concrete and succinct in focusing on emigration and remittances investment. The study concludes that although remittances play an important role in Kenya’s economy, the current institutional and policy frameworks do not provide a conducive environment for investment of remittances resources. It recommends, among other things, that more policy research, capacity building and institutional initiatives are required if remittances are to have the desired impact on Kenya’s economic development, especially among smallholder farmers.