“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 |
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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 |
| _version_ | 1828218474070016000 |
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| author | Jane Njeri Mwangi Alex Boakye Asiedu |
| author_facet | Jane Njeri Mwangi Alex Boakye Asiedu |
| author_sort | Jane Njeri Mwangi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
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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| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T16:03:18Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-63b64c9e99874535a8d04f65df90c74e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2411-6955 2410-7972 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T16:03:18Z |
| publishDate | 2021-05-01 |
| publisher | University of the Western Cape |
| record_format | Article |
| series | African Human Mobility Review |
| spelling | doaj.art-63b64c9e99874535a8d04f65df90c74e2022-12-22T03:26:09ZengUniversity of the Western CapeAfrican Human Mobility Review2411-69552410-79722021-05-013310.14426/ahmr.v3i3.837“I am Going Homeâ€: How Kenyan Migrants’ Intentions to Return Home Affect their Transnational EngagementsJane Njeri Mwangi0Alex Boakye Asiedu1University of GhanaUniversity of Ghana 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. https://epubs.ac.za/index.php/ahmr/article/view/837Transnational activitiesRemittancesInvestmentsReturn visitsKenyan migrants |
| spellingShingle | Jane Njeri Mwangi Alex Boakye Asiedu “I am Going Homeâ€: How Kenyan Migrants’ Intentions to Return Home Affect their Transnational Engagements African Human Mobility Review Transnational activities Remittances Investments Return visits Kenyan migrants |
| title | “I am Going Homeâ€: How Kenyan Migrants’ Intentions to Return Home Affect their Transnational Engagements |
| title_full | “I am Going Homeâ€: How Kenyan Migrants’ Intentions to Return Home Affect their Transnational Engagements |
| title_fullStr | “I am Going Homeâ€: How Kenyan Migrants’ Intentions to Return Home Affect their Transnational Engagements |
| title_full_unstemmed | “I am Going Homeâ€: How Kenyan Migrants’ Intentions to Return Home Affect their Transnational Engagements |
| title_short | “I am Going Homeâ€: How Kenyan Migrants’ Intentions to Return Home Affect their Transnational Engagements |
| title_sort | a€oei am going homea€ how kenyan migrantsa€™ intentions to return home affect their transnational engagements |
| topic | Transnational activities Remittances Investments Return visits Kenyan migrants |
| url | https://epubs.ac.za/index.php/ahmr/article/view/837 |
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