Labour PS Shadrack Mwadime has announced new strategies the government will implement to address the illegal recruitment of Kenyan workers seeking jobs abroad.
Addressing the press at the National Employment Authority headquarters in Kasarani on November 24, 2023, Mwadime stated that the government will deploy a team at the airports to respond to distressed migrant workers.
“Will put a desk at the airports to expedite the clearance process for migrant workers, a distress reporting mechanism information handbook, and establish a Migrant Workers Welfare Fund,” PS Mwadime stated.
These are just some of the measures aimed at strengthening Kenyans' migrant protection.
According to PS Mwadime, the government is working round the clock to ensure that Kenyans are not smuggled out of the country to work under inhumane and unsafe conditions or left roaming in the streets of foreign countries.
It also implemented enhanced monitoring and a barcode system for Kenyan workers exiting the county through airports as one of the stringent measures.
Mwadime also insisted that private employment agencies must obtain approvals from the government before sending Kenyan citizens for employment outside kenya.
He, however, clarified that the ministry has recorded a drop in the number of distress calls from Kenyan migrant workers in the recent past.
Owing to the measures put in place, Kenyans in the diaspora have continued to increase in recent years and are currently estimated at 4 million, with a huge part being migrant workers.
From June last year to July this year, over 105,796 Kenyans sought employment outside the country, both through government and private agencies.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia absorbed the highest number of Kenyans with a total of 27,056, the rest were placed in other countries.
Locally 17,318 Kenyans were also employed across different counties as part of the government's concerted efforts to address regional employment needs.
President William Ruto has also been touring various countries globally to secure jobs for Kenyans.
UK Issues Travel Advisory for Kenya News Just In
