Jobseekers in Nairobi. FILE PHOTO | NMG
Summary
More than half of Kenyans would immediately move to another
country if they could, a survey by an international polling agency has
found.
The proportion of Kenyans saying they would like
to emigrate — 54 per cent — was the third highest among six sub-Saharan
Africa countries included in survey results released yesterday by the
US-based Pew Research Centre.
But only 19 per cent of
Kenyans interviewed a year ago by Pew researchers said they actually
plan to move to another country in the next five years. Of those Kenyans
saying they wish to leave the country, 55 per cent listed the US as
their preferred destination.
That was the highest stated preference for the US among respondents in the six countries polled.
Kenyans reaching the US would join an estimated 120,000 of their
compatriots already there. Another 180,000 Kenyans are living in
Europe, according to United Nations data cited in the Pew survey.
Kenya
is said to be the fourth-largest source of African immigrants to the
US, following Nigeria (280,000), Ethiopia (220,000) and Ghana (160,000).
For
the EU countries along with Norway and Switzerland, Kenya ranks seventh
among African states’ emigrants. Nigeria is first with 390,000
expatriates in Europe, and Somalia ranks third with 300,000.
The
Pew survey did not ask why Kenyans and other Africans want to leave
their homelands. Researchers note, however, that many African countries
“continue to have high unemployment rates and relatively low wage
rates”.
The employment market appears unlikely to
improve anytime soon, researchers add, due to “high fertility levels
that will mean even more people competing for jobs”.
“Political instability and conflict are other factors pushing sub-Saharan Africans to move,” the report states.
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