“I am Going Homeâ€: How Kenyan Migrants’ Intentions to Return Home Affect their Transnational Engagements
The aim of this study is to examine how Kenyan migrants’ intentions to return home influence their participation in transnational activities like sending remittances, investments and return visits. In this study, our focus is on Kenyans living in the UK, USA, Canada and Ghana. A concurrent mixed...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
University of the Western Cape
2021-05-01
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| Series: | African Human Mobility Review |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://epubs.ac.za/index.php/ahmr/article/view/837 |
| Summary: | The aim of this study is to examine how Kenyan migrants’ intentions to return
home influence their participation in transnational activities like sending
remittances, investments and return visits. In this study, our focus is on
Kenyans living in the UK, USA, Canada and Ghana. A concurrent mixed method
approach was used in data collection and analysis. This included a web survey
of 212 respondents, 21 in-depth interviews and 5 focus group discussions.
Most (89%) of the respondents intended to return to Kenya before retirement
but difficulty in finding well-paying employment, insecurity, corruption,
citizenship issues and reintegration uncertainties were seen as obstacles to
return. Incentives for return included a better economic and political
environment, improved security, good governance, employment and
investment opportunities. Overall, the study revealed that migrants’
intentions to return home had an influence on their participation in remittance
transfers, investments and return visits. Cross tabulations, odd ratios and chi
square logistic regression analyses showed that intentions to return had an
influence on migrants’ investments in entrepreneurial ventures and financial
instruments, as well as the frequency of return visits to Kenya.
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| ISSN: | 2411-6955 2410-7972 |