- The PS said the government has put in place measures to rectify the situation.
- He said those seeking foreign jobs can easily go through the National Employment Authority website where all the jobs available had been uploaded.
Image: BY MATHEWS NDANYI
The government has blacklisted more than 500 private recruitment agencies who were allegedly involved in fleecing Kenyans seeking jobs abroad.
Labour Principal Secretary Shadrack Mwadime says the ministry has stepped up vetting of all the private recruitment agencies, which were more than 1,000 initially, but have now been reduced to 500.
“We have a strict recruitment procedure and a committee is in place involving all relevant agencies, including our security systems so that we have only genuine PRAs handling the recruitment,” he said.
The PS said the Kenya Kwanza administration was focused on strategies to reduce unemployment trends in the country and improve the investment environment.
He said the government would create the necessary environment to help entrepreneurs invest in more industries and create job opportunities for more than one million people who graduate annually, yet the economy can only absorb about 200,000 of them.
Mwadime said the government also has a deliberate plan to export labour to foreign countries, where there were many job opportunities for the youth.
“We are not are not encouraging the youth to migrate permanently, but to go there for a short time, work and invest back in the country,” he said.
Last year, he said, diaspora remittances to Kenya grew to Sh663 billion, and in terms of foreign exchange, the remittances surpassed traditional cash crop earners like tea, coffee and even tourism.
“That is the way to go because our young people are not like a stock that we can keep in a store somewhere, but they are a resource we can exploit."
Mwadime said athletes had partnered with the Kenya Investment Authority on how to invest their earnings and the government was doing the same for young Kenyans seeking foreign jobs.
The PS said although there had been complaints of human trafficking, smuggling and suffering of some of the Kenyans in foreign countries, the government has put in place measures to rectify the situation.
He said those seeking foreign jobs can easily go through the National Employment Authority website where all the jobs available had been uploaded.
The government has established a one-stop shop at the ministry headquarters to help Kenyans seeking passports and other required documents before applicants are cleared for foreign jobs.
“We have already deployed adequate staff to help Kenyans seeking migrant jobs easily access the available jobs abroad,” Mwadime said.
The PS was speaking in Eldoret during a visit to assess available offices and staff working under ministry to serve Kenyans. He also paid a courtesy call on Uasin Gishu county commissioner Edison Nyale.