William Ruto defends government’s policy to send Kenyans to work in Gulf, has over 560,000 jobs open

• William Ruto said that since July 2023, the government has facilitated the employment of 105,367 Kenyans in various countries, including roles for nurses, teachers and cooks.
• President Ruto said the National Employment Authority (NEA) has identified more than 560,000 jobs available in various countries around the world.
• The Ministry of Labor recently launched a national recruitment program to recruit Kenyans in all counties for overseas jobs

Elijah Ntongai, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, has over three years of funding, businessand technology research and reporting expertise, providing insights into Kenyan and global trends.

chairman William Ruto defended his administration’s efforts to facilitate employment opportunities for Kenyans abroad as part of a broader strategy to address unemployment and empower citizens economically.

During his time State of the Nation Address In Parliament, Ruto described the government’s focus on labor migration as a critical initiative under his administration’s commitment to intergenerational equity, opportunity and empowerment.

He explained that the initiative aims to harness Kenya’s abundant human capital while positioning Kenyan talents on the global stage.

How many Kenyans have jobs abroad?

Ruto reported that the government has successfully facilitated the employment of over one hundred thousand Kenyans in various countries.

“Since July 2023, we have successfully facilitated the employment of 105,367 Kenyans from several countries in a wide range of jobs. These opportunities cover professional, skilled and unskilled sectors, including positions for nurses, teachers and cooks,” Ruto announced,

Global job opportunities for Kenyans

The President commended the National Employment Authority (NEA) for taking the lead in connecting skilled Kenyans to employment opportunities.

He revealed that NEA currently has a database of over 560,000 jobs globally, with opportunities covering destinations such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Bahrain, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar.

In addition, Ruto highlighted the government’s ongoing negotiations for bilateral labor agreements with countries such as Russia, Poland and Jordan as part of efforts to expand access to foreign labor markets.

Ruto’s defense of the labor migration initiative comes amid debates over the welfare and treatment of Kenyan workers in the Gulf.

The President assured Parliament that the government will continue to prioritize the protection and support of Kenyans working abroad through bilateral agreements and regulatory oversight.

National recruitment program for jobs abroad

earlier, TUKO.co.ke reported that the government had launched a national recruitment programme to provide skilled and semi-skilled Kenyans with job opportunities abroad.

CS for labor has announced that the recruitment exercise will commence on November 20 at the Technical Institute for the Blind Machakos and shared the places and dates when the recruitment will take place in various counties.

The first phase aims to create 20,000 job opportunities abroad with proper documentation, including good conduct certificates and passports through E-Citizen.

Proofreading by Otukho Jackson, Multimedia Journalist and Copy Editor at TUKO.co.ke

Source: TUKO.co.ke