Members of Parliament have questioned the Cabinet Secretary for Labour and Social Protection, Alfred Mutua, after a report revealed that only Makueni, Machakos, and Kitui counties have benefited from overseas job placements.
These are the home counties of Mutua, who has now been summoned by the MPs to explain the matter.
According to a report presented to the National Assembly's Committee on Diaspora Affairs and Migrant Workers, only three out of Kenya’s 47 counties have so far benefited from overseas job placements.
The MPs questioned the fairness of the process and demanded clarification on the criteria used to select candidates.
Director General of the National Employment Authority (NEA), Edith Okoki, appearing before the committee chaired by Lydia Haika, was questioned about the apparent regional imbalance in the selection of candidates for international employment.
“The Authority is unable to explain the criteria used for selecting candidates who travelled abroad, as we did not participate in the recruitment,” Okoki told the MPs.
She also confirmed that none of those who got overseas jobs were selected through NEA’s online system, even though many Kenyans had applied using that platform.
However, the Committee urged NEA to reconsider its approach to mobilising and recruiting applicants.
“There is no need to mobilise an entire county when only ten slots are available. If the opportunities are limited, say so clearly. You need to rethink your recruitment strategy,” Haika said.
MPs noted that they were not impressed with the recruitment process and have therefore scheduled a joint meeting with the Ministry of Labour and the National Employment Authority to discuss a way forward.
Mutua has been at the forefront in urging Kenyans to apply for various overseas jobs, although the mass recruitment drive has received significant backlash.
The government announced in February that it would give loans of up to Ksh300,000 to Kenyans seeking jobs abroad to facilitate their travels and other expenses. The loans will be drawn from the Youth Enterprise Development Fund (YEDF).
