Nairobi: The Secretariat of the National Coordination Mechanism on Migration (NCM) will partner with the Kenya News Agency (KNA) to enhance dialogue on migration issues to ensure citizens are better informed about their rights. This comes in the backdrop of emerging challenges arising from the growing population and the pressure to migrate from rural to urban areas by individuals who lack critical information pertaining to migration.
According to Kenya News Agency, NCM is working on a mechanism to expand its networks by collaborating with government institutions, civil society groups, and other like-minded individuals via a whole-of-society approach to better educate Kenyans on migration policies and governance. The aim is to equip them with knowledge to navigate through the challenges as they seek better livelihoods.
A delegation from the NCM secretariat, led by Assistant Director Immigration Services Gerald Mong’are Atunga, paid a courtesy call on Director of Information Joseph Kipkoech at the Directorate’s head office in Uchumi House. They held talks with the KNA team to chart the way forward toward developing a plan to address a sensitisation campaign on migration challenges facing many Kenyans and across the region.
Atunga stated that the focus was to raise public awareness on migration and promote a fact-based discourse through media to many Kenyans who have limited knowledge or otherwise lack information to help them better understand the expectations when they move or interact with others.
Director Kipkoech assured the team of the directorate’s support and encouraged them to leverage the nationwide reach of KNA, which is backed by a capable team to deliver credible content and information. Kipkoech emphasized the importance of partnerships, particularly leveraging the media to bridge information gaps and educate the public on governance issues. He urged the NCM to seize the opportunity to foster constructive engagement on migration matters at all levels.
Principal Immigration Officer George Awili emphasized the need to harness the benefits of migration for the economic growth of the country. He urged member states to strengthen the African Union (AU) migration framework to effectively address internal and labour migration, border management, irregular and forced migration, and the protection of migrants’ human rights.
Awili noted that due to prevailing living standards, many people have migrated without adequate knowledge of migration policies and required documentation, which has affected many people. ‘People have moved without knowledge after being pushed by circumstances, and if you (KNA) provide information, it becomes very crucial for migrants and us (Country). That’s why we are here,’ Awili said.
He pointed out that NCM is out to ensure the safe movement of people by bringing together both government and non-state actors to discuss emerging issues and dynamics of migration. ‘As NCM, we look at how migration impacts people, and what benefits it brings, including security,’ he stated, adding, ‘The drivers of migration today are not the same as they were yesterday; the dynamic nature of migration warrants ongoing dialogue.’
NCM was established in 2016 as a national coordination platform for continuous dialogue to champion migration and governance policies at both national and international levels through a whole-of-government, whole-of-society approach. Through this initiative, Awili said the NCM seeks to promote migration policies and governance to foster a cohesive and informed society.
He added that the body will strive to enhance policy communication across the diverse demographics as it advocates for the inclusion of migrants in development. In the era of misinformation and disinformation, officials stated that the partnership offers a platform to disseminate accurate information, dispel misconceptions about migration, and promote a more inclusive discourse across the country.
He said, ‘The partnerships will leverage KNA’s extensive outreach and communication network to reach a wide audience, promote fact-based migration discourse, elevate public awareness, and support effective governance in Kenya.’