The government has announced plans to launch a new system to track and support Kenyan Youth pursuing employment opportunities abroad amid rising cases of defrauding and duping by recruitment agencies.
Dubbed the Labour Mobility Management Information System (LMMIS), the new system will primarily be meant to safeguard youth working abroad, starting with the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The decision follows a high-level meeting in Dubai where Youth Enterprise Development Fund (YEDF) CEO Moriasia Rabu and Credit Manager Sam Njue met with Kenya’s Consul General in Dubai to explore strategies for establishing safer and more structured labour mobility frameworks for job seekers in Kenya.
From the consultative forum, which brought together stakeholders from the State Departments of Diaspora Affairs, Labour, Youth Affairs, representatives from a local bank, and private recruitment agencies, the key outcome was the decision to develop LMMIS, which will act as a centralised digital platform to allow the government to monitor Kenyan migrant workers.
The new system is also expected to streamline documentation processes while overseeing the welfare of those who secure work overseas.
YEDF CEO Moriasia Rabu welcomed the move, saying the system would go a long way in improving data coordination and enhancing accountability, particularly during a time when there are consistent challenges emerging in the labour migration chain.
Besides the adaptation of the LMMIS, stakeholders also resolved to strengthen orientation programs for youth prior to their departure overseas to ensure they are fully prepared before leaving the country for foreign assignments.
During these orientation programs, youth will be equipped with crucial information on their rights and responsibilities while working abroad to avoid exploitation. They will also be briefed on workplace expectations and personal safety to help improve their overseas work experience.
The delegation also saw the need for more partnerships with human resource consultants and credible employers, particularly in the UAE, to ensure that job placements remain ethical, lawful, and aligned with international labour standards.
Notably, the LMMIS is expected to be implemented in phases, with the UAE serving as the pilot country before expansion to other major labour destination markets.
The planned rollout of the LMMIS comes weeks after Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua confirmed efforts to tap into the Youth Fund to support job seekers.
In May, 130 individuals seeking jobs abroad emerged as beneficiaries from the Youth Fund program, which Mutua claims he pushed after talks with the Senate.
Further, the CS confirmed that the government is at the tail end of a pilot program under the Uwezo Fund, which will help at least 300 more Kenyans secure jobs abroad.
