Kenya- Germany Labour Migration Conference and Job Fair at Sarit expo center
Labour Ministry to Rate Employment Agencies to Protect Kenyan Job Seekers, CS Mutua Announces
Nairobi, 27th September 2024
The Ministry of Labour and Social Protection is set to introduce a rating system for employment agencies as part of efforts to maintain accountability and protect Kenyan job seekers, Cabinet Secretary Dr. Alfred Mutua has revealed. Speaking at the Sarit Expo Centre in Nairobi during the official opening of the Kenya-German Labour Migration Conference and Job Fair, Dr. Mutua emphasized the need for integrity in the industry.
"We are tightening the noose on rogue employment agencies," said Dr. Mutua. "Those not ready to do the right thing should quit the business." The CS also commended the majority of agencies that he noted are already doing a commendable job, while warning that agencies under investigation will have their licenses suspended, as agreed with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
The conference and job fair, aimed at raising awareness about legal migration processes and employment opportunities in Germany, come on the heels of a recently signed bilateral labour agreement between Kenya and Germany. The agreement provides a framework for cooperation on labour mobility and apprenticeship programs between the two countries.
Dr. Mutua further announced that a new policy will soon require agencies to stop charging job seekers, instead urging them to leverage their profits from volume-based business models. "It makes no sense to ask those seeking jobs to pay local agencies huge sums of money, yet the agencies are paid by prospective employers," the CS remarked.
Addressing concerns of brain drain due to the increasing number of Kenyans migrating abroad for work, Dr. Mutua reassured the public that Kenya has a robust workforce and the country benefits from a "brain gain" when skilled workers return or send remittances home. German Ambassador to Kenya Sebastian Groth echoed these sentiments, affirming that Germany has no intention of depleting Kenya's vital human resource.
Dr. Mutua also urged Kenyans living illegally in Germany to return home and regularize their stay, warning that the government would not tolerate illegal practices. Since the signing of the bilateral agreement, 495 job orders have been received from Germany, signaling growing opportunities for Kenyan professionals abroad.
In May of this year, remittances from Kenyans working in the diaspora reached a record high of Ksh 52.4 billion, underscoring the significant contribution of foreign employment to Kenya’s economy. Dr. Mutua was accompanied at the event by Principal Secretary for the State Department of Labour, Shadrack Mwadime.