Title: Ruto Vows to Sign New Labor Pacts to Increase Kenyan Migration Abroad
President William Ruto announced on Monday that his administration intends to sign ten new bilateral agreements that will allow Kenya to send more workers to European, North American, and Middle Eastern nations.
The president told Kenyans during Labour Day celebrations at Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi that the majority of these workers will go to Germany, which he said has recently been lobbying for Kenyan workers.
Later this week, he will host German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in the country and sign bilateral labor agreements, he said.
“Many countries are looking for Kenyan workers. On Thursday, the German chancellor will visit Kenya, and we will sign bilateral labor agreements that will give Kenyans access to the 250 million jobs Germany offers annually, Ruto said.
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Canada and Saudi Arabia are among the other nations with which the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection will sign agreements.
“We have opportunities in Canada, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia…we will sign ten agreements in the coming months so that our youth can take advantage of these opportunities,” the president said.
He cited the increasing diaspora remittances from Kenyans living abroad, which reached a record $4.02 billion in 2022, edging closer to exports that generated $5.77 billion in foreign currency.
“We receive Ksh 400 billion annually from Kenyans in the diaspora.” This is more than we receive from our exports of tea, coffee, and horticulture, said Ruto.
Diaspora remittances
According to data from the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK), Kenya earned more foreign currency from diaspora remittances last year than it did from its three major exports (coffee, tea, and horticulture).
The country’s top export, tea, brought in $1.2 billion, while horticulture brought in $901 million, chemicals brought in $521 million, coffee brought in $300 million, and petroleum products brought in $77 million.
“Many nations have built their economies by creating job opportunities for their citizens in other countries,” President Ruto said on Monday. “We intend to do the same locally and abroad.”
But while remittances have played a significant role in bringing in foreign currency, the welfare of Kenyans in the diaspora has been a major setback, as reports of mistreatment of Kenyans by employers – primarily in the Middle East – continue to surface each year.
Alfred Mutua, Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, traveled to Saudi Arabia in his first weeks in office last October in an effort to address the plight of mistreated Kenyan migrant workers in the Gulf State.
In November, the Foreign Ministry reported that the CS met with the Saudi ambassador to discuss the welfare of Kenyans working in Saudi Arabia.
In addition, Dr. Mutua met with representatives of employment agencies that recruit Kenyans for jobs in a Middle Eastern nation.
According to the Ministry of Labour, more than four million Kenyans live and work abroad, with the majority in the Middle East and Europe.
The ministry reports that while approximately 1.2 million Kenyans enter the workforce annually, the formal and informal sectors can only absorb 800,000 annually.
Title: Ruto Vows to Sign New Labor Pacts to Increase Kenyan Migration Abroad
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