Deputy President Kithure Kindiki dances to a song with some youth during a meeting at his Tharaka Nithi home on July 31, 2025/DPCSDeputy President Kithure Kindiki has come out strongly in defence of the Kazi Majuu programme, saying sending Kenyan youth to work abroad is a practical solution to the country’s unemployment crisis.
Kindiki stated that the programme has already facilitated the placement of over 400,000 young Kenyans in jobs abroad in the last two years alone.
“As a young person, it doesn’t matter where you get the job; that is one of the best things about youth,” Kindiki said.
“You are flexible. You can work anywhere in the world and come back home after 10 or 15 years.”
Speaking during a youth meeting at his Irundune home in Tharaka Nithi County, Kindiki dismissed critics of the programme, saying it is unrealistic to expect the government to create jobs for every unemployed youth within Kenya.
“We will create jobs locally where we can. But if we have opportunities abroad, we will facilitate our youth to take them,” he said.
“It is better to work abroad than stay idle here and be misused by politicians who hand you Sh100 to go heckle their opponents. That’s stupidity of the highest order. Such politicians are the real enemies of our country.”
The Deputy President at the same time highlighted reforms undertaken at the Immigration Department to speed up passport issuance, a key bottleneck for young people seeking jobs abroad.
“I used to visit Nyayo House at 4am and witnessed queues forming that early. Today, you can get your passport in three to seven days. If you’ve secured a job abroad, we’ll ensure you get your passport within 24 hours,” he stated.
Kindiki emphasised that the government is committed to supporting youth empowerment both at home and internationally.
He urged them to remain peaceful and reject leaders who incite them to violence for selfish political gain.
“The government is not your enemy. We recognise your potential and are open to listening and working with you. Violence is not a solution, it is destruction. Don’t let failed leaders masquerading as saviours manipulate your frustrations for their own ends,” he remarked.
He assured the youth that the government is expanding employment opportunities through local initiatives, the digital economy, and international labour mobility.
Kindiki's remarks come amid growing debate over the Kazi Majuu programme, with critics questioning whether the government is exporting labour at the expense of building sustainable local industries.
Kakamega Senator Boniface Khalwale has been particularly vocal, accusing the government of turning Kazi Majuu into a scam that has left thousands of job seekers defrauded and disillusioned.
He claimed that many young Kenyans have paid as much as Sh40,000 to recruitment agencies but have not secured the promised jobs abroad, nor received refunds.
“These youths trusted the government. They believed this was a genuine opportunity to change their lives. Today, they feel betrayed by the very people who were supposed to empower them,” Khalwale said.
But the Deputy President maintains that labour mobility is a strategic and dignified path to prosperity for thousands of Kenyan youth.
Some civil society groups and labour rights groups have also expressed misgivings about the initiative.
They argued that while Kazi Majuu might offer short-term relief, it reflects a troubling shift in government policy, exporting unemployed youth instead of fixing the domestic economy.
