National Employment Authority DG Edith Okoki during the launch of the centre on December 5, 2025/COURTESYEldoret has witnessed a landmark moment with the launch of its first Kenya Labour Migrant Resource Centre.
The ceremony, attended by officials from the National Employment Authority (NEA), the International Labour Organisation, county leadership, development partners and local communities, underscores the country’s commitment to safe, ethical and well-governed labour migration.
NEA director general Edith Okoki described the centre as a symbol of Kenya’s pledge to protect its citizens pursuing employment opportunities abroad.
“The Migrant Resource Centre in Eldoret is more than a building; it is a promise. It is a promise that no Kenyan migrant worker will travel uninformed, unprotected, or unsupported. It is a place where hope is turned into real opportunity and dignity is safeguarded,” Okoki said at the launch.
The Eldoret centre joins a growing network of similar centres in Nairobi, Thika, Machakos, Kisumu and Mombasa, bringing services closer to communities and ensuring that no aspiring migrant worker is left behind.
The centre will cater to a wide spectrum of beneficiaries—from young people dreaming of overseas work, to parents concerned about their children’s safety and to returning migrant workers seeking reintegration support.
“For years, our citizens have traveled abroad without adequate information or support. Some returned with experiences that should never be repeated. This centre is our collective commitment to ensure that every journey abroad is guided, safe and beneficial,” Okoki said.
The Eldoret KLMRC will provide comprehensive services, including guidance on ethical recruitment, verified job pathways, pre-departure orientation, safe migration procedures and rights at work.
It will also assist migrants during their employment abroad and provide counselling and reintegration support upon their return.
“Our mandate is to empower every Kenyan migrant worker to leave with knowledge and confidence and to return home stronger, skilled and ready to contribute meaningfully to national development,” she said.
Okoki also stressed the importance of collaboration, acknowledging the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, ILO, development partners and local authorities for their role in strengthening labour migration governance.
“This centre demonstrates that partnership works. Lives can change when institutions step up to provide real solutions for our people,” she noted.
ILO representative Aida Awel described the centre as a transformative institution that aligns with international labour standards and global best practices.
She underscored the critical role of well-governed labour migration in reducing unemployment, enhancing skills transfer, generating remittances and contributing to national development.
"Migration, when well-managed, is a powerful engine for economic and social progress. But poorly regulated migration exposes workers to exploitation, unsafe routes, misinformation and contract violations,” she said.
Awel highlighted the centre’s multi-faceted approach to addressing these risks.
“It provides a trusted space for prospective migrants, returning workers and their families. Services include access to verified information on safe migration pathways, guidance on fair recruitment and workers’ rights, pre-departure training, support in navigating overseas employment systems and reintegration assistance,” she explained.
She further emphasised the need for inclusive governance, calling on county leaders, trade unions, civil society, employers, recruitment agencies and development partners to ensure migrant workers’ voices and rights are heard and respected.
“This centre embodies the principles of fair recruitment, decent work and rights-based labour migration. It signals Kenya’s zero tolerance for exploitation, human trafficking and unfair recruitment practices,” Awel said.
Awel noted that the Eldoret KLMRC strengthens Kenya’s labour migration governance framework and contributes to the realisation of the National Labour Migration Policy and the broader national development agenda.
She stressed that well-governed migration transforms migrants into agents of development, innovation and ambassadors of Kenya’s talent.
“No Kenyan migrant should navigate this journey alone. This centre ensures that every worker is informed, protected, and supported from departure to return,” she added.
Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua, represented by Uasin Gishu county commissioner Eddyson Nyale, highlighted the strategic importance of labour mobility as a solution to Kenya’s youth employment gap.
He urged young people to use licensed recruitment agencies, access verified information, and rely on official channels, including the KLMRC and government websites, to avoid falling prey to unscrupulous operators.
The Eldoret KLMRC will provide pre-departure orientation, verified overseas job opportunities, ethical recruitment guidance, skills development and support for returning migrant workers.
Its launch reinforces Kenya’s commitment to ethical migration, decent work and protection of labour rights, ensuring that Kenyans seeking work abroad do so safely and productively.
The centre is expected to significantly enhance labour migration governance in the Rift Valley region and beyond, offering thousands of Kenyans the information, support and protection they need to pursue employment abroad with dignity and confidence.
