Government expands eCitizen platform with new diaspora service modules
By Chemtai Kirui | Nairobi | Feb 25, 2026
The government has expanded digital services for citizens living abroad, integrating additional diaspora support modules into the eCitizen platform in a move aimed at improving access to assistance, registration and crisis reporting.
The State Department for Diaspora Affairs said on Feb. 24 that new service functions under the Diaspora Integrated Information Management System (DIIMS) are now fully operational on the eCitizen platform.
DIIMS has been functionally live since late 2025 as a digital registry of citizens abroad. The latest announcement relates to the rollout of expanded modules — including distress assistance requests, diaspora association registration and the reporting of deaths or missing persons — services that were previously handled manually through embassies and consulates.
In a notice issued on Feb. 24, the State Department for Diaspora Affairs said it had onboarded core services onto eCitizen and integrated them with the DIIMS portal, urging citizens overseas to register and use the system.
The consolidation shifts diaspora engagement from a largely mission-based model, where services were processed through separate forms, email channels or stand-alone portals, to a centralised digital platform.
Under the updated structure, citizens living overseas can register their personal details, form and register diaspora associations, report missing persons or deaths, submit distress alerts and access crisis mapping tools intended to support emergency response coordination.
Officials say the integration is designed to create a centralised database of citizens abroad, improve coordination between Nairobi and foreign missions and shorten response times in cases involving labour disputes, medical emergencies or disappearances.
The diaspora population is estimated at between three and four million people globally and plays a significant economic role through remittances, one of the country’s largest sources of foreign exchange.
Data from the Central Bank of Kenya shows remittance inflows reached 649.9 billion shillings in 2025, continuing an upward trend in recent years and outpacing earnings from several traditional exports.
Officials say digitising diaspora services aligns with broader efforts to formalise engagement with citizens overseas, whose concerns have ranged from access to documentation and voting rights to protection from exploitation in foreign labour markets.
The eCitizen platform, launched in 2015, serves as the country’s central online gateway for public services, including passport applications, business registrations and civil records. Government figures indicate that more than 22,000 services are available through the portal across ministries, departments and agencies.
Authorities say the DIIMS linkage will enable structured data collection on diaspora demographics and geographic distribution, information that could inform policy decisions related to labour agreements, investment outreach and crisis response planning.
The initiative is tied to the Diaspora Policy 2024, which outlines commitments to safeguard the rights and welfare of citizens abroad while promoting their participation in national development. The policy calls for improved coordination between state agencies and foreign missions and for the use of technology to streamline services.
Analysts say centralising diaspora services could reduce administrative delays and improve transparency if supported by reliable back-end systems and clear accountability between Nairobi and overseas missions.
However, they say implementation will determine its impact. Digital uptake among diaspora communities may vary depending on internet access, digital literacy and awareness of the new tools. Coordination between the online platform and consular staff will also shape whether submissions translate into timely assistance.
The country has faced periodic criticism from migrant workers and advocacy groups over the handling of distress cases abroad, particularly in high-migration destinations in the Middle East. A unified reporting channel could allow more consistent case tracking, though officials have not disclosed processing timelines or staffing capacity linked to the new modules.
The expansion builds on the registry framework established in 2025 and extends the government’s broader digitisation strategy to citizens outside its borders.
The effectiveness of the new modules will depend on how efficiently online submissions are processed and whether digital integration improves support on the ground.
