State Bans 500+ Recruitment Agencies: What’s Behind the Blacklist?
Over 500 private recruitment agencies engaged in questionable practices have been placed on a blacklist as the government takes steps to improve the process and safeguard Kenyan citizens seeking opportunities abroad.
Shadrack Mwadime, Principal Secretary for Labour and Skills Development, stated that the government has reduced the number of listed firms from 1000 to 500 to safeguard the interests of young individuals seeking opportunities overseas.
“The objective of Kenya Kwanza administration is that Kenyans access opportunities in a structured and organized manner. I know there have been complaints over time concerning fake jobs or human smuggling and we have done rigorous vetting and we have now reduced the number of these agencies to 500 so that they are aboard in their dealings,” said the official, during a tour in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County to appraise county commissioner and other government employees on the legal status of the recruitment agencies.
He revealed that the government has established a multi-agency team to evaluate agencies aiming to streamline the process for individuals wishing to travel abroad for employment or education purposes.
“This vetting committee ensures that recruitment is above board. We have a team from the Ministry of Labour and security agencies to do a thorough vetting of whether these agencies are genuine or not,” said PS Mwadime.
He added; “Those who wish to access jobs can access through the National Employment Authority portal and private allowed to do business are listed in black ink while those in red, Kenyans should avoid as much as possible so that they not hoodwinked.”
Lately, numerous young individuals have fallen prey to deceitful organizations that offer to assist them with their travels, only to ultimately renege on their commitments.
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The Public Spokesperson indicated that the government plans to boost the number of young people seeking employment opportunities abroad with the aim of doubling remittances to the nation and mitigating unemployment issues.
“We have over 1 million youth every year and our economy can absorb 200,000. We also have those who are enterprising and are supported through seed capital and the majority find themselves jobless,” said The PS.
He stated that Kenyans abroad sent a sum of 4 billion dollars (equivalent to Sh663 billion) to the country last year, with the government aiming to bolster the economy further with additional billions.
He mentioned that the nation aimed to boost annual remittances to Sh1 trillion, highlighting that remittances from the diaspora have exceeded earnings from traditional exports like coffee, tea, and tourism.
“We are encouraging our youth to tap on this opportunity. We cannot keep our youth indefinitely for unforeseen opportunities,” explained the official.
Mr. Mwadime suggested that permitting young people to travel to developed nations would enable them to gain expertise and technological skills that could be applied back home.
He additionally remarked that they set up a centralized facility at the ministry headquarters where personnel from immigration, public health, diaspora affairs department, and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations collaborate to streamline the overseas journeys of Kenyan citizens.
“We have instructed all private recruitment to upload all jobs in the NEA portal so that Kenyans can access all the opportunities,” said the PS.
State Bans 500+ Recruitment Agencies: What’s Behind the Blacklist?
