Labour and Social Protection CS Alfred Mutua has said that
applications for jobs in Qatar is a process that takes prolonged time.
He said that many applicants have been travelling over a
period of time, depending on the offer letters being received.
This comes amid concerns from Kenyans about the merit of the
international jobs offered to them.
Some applicants claimed they were made to pay thousands of shillings by recruitment agencies but they never got offer letters for jobs.
The allegations prompted the Senate to summon the CS to issue an explanation and confirm or deny the claims.
Speaking on Tuesday when he appeared before the Senate, Mutua said that Kenyans are still travelling to Qatar for employment.
“The
travelling of people overseas is a process, out of the 3,000 people who were indicated
initially that they had been given job offers were hired. We received slightly
below or above 1,000 job offers, and the processing started, and since then, people have been travelling,” he ethe CS said.
“Many have
been travelling over a period of time, and they are still going. The job that we
were given in Qatar was for over a year, and it was based on placement
at different times.”
Mutua said
that those who had applied for the jobs were taken through an induction on what
to expect.
“We told
them, when the job offer comes, you will be able to travel for the job offer or
wait for the job offer.
The jobs were from a company from Qatar, but were read out
in different countries, the CS explained.
"They have their businesses in different countries. They
were going to be posted to these companies' businesses across the Middle East
and the North African region."
The CS
admitted that some of the job offers were not up to the standards expected in the country.
He said the
ministry refused to take the offers because no Kenyan was to be allowed to work
in another country for a salary that is less than in their country.
“The salary
needs to be a bit higher. You are leaving your family here, your environment, so
the salary should be higher. It took time because they went and renegotiated for
a raise in salary,” he said.
According
to Mutua, the negotiations worked out and the salaries were raised, with Kenyans
getting offer letters.
The CS said
that Kenyans who were not interested in travelling were refunded their money, save for the medical fee.
“Others
have travelled and have been given alternative jobs and similar jobs elsewhere.
Others chose to wait for alternative jobs,” he added.
