Kenya is increasingly making labour mobility a central pillar of its foreign policy in a deliberate push to secure structured overseas jobs for its citizens.
Within a week, the State Department of Diaspora Affairs has held bilateral engagements with Denmark, Belgium and Italy and signed a cooperation agreement with Armenia on labour mobility.
As part of the Kenya Kwanza administration's labour export agenda, Diaspora Affairs PS Roseline Njogu has also reaffirmed plans with Canada to expand legal migration pathways.
The engagements come as the government steps up implementation of the Kazi Majuu programme, which seeks to place more Kenyans in overseas jobs through government-to-government agreements and ethical recruitment frameworks.
President William Ruto’s administration is increasingly positioning the diaspora as a strategic partner in national development.
Njogu has this week held separate meetings with the ambassadors of Denmark, Belgium and Italy, with labour mobility emerging as a common thread across the discussions.
During talks with Danish Ambassador Stephan Schønemann, the two sides explored "structured pathways for labour mobility, enhanced people-to-people ties, and ways to build on the longstanding relations between Kenya and Denmark."
The discussions also followed Kenya's decision to open a diplomatic mission in Copenhagen, a move expected to strengthen bilateral engagement and support the growing Kenyan diaspora in Denmark.
A similar message emerged during Njogu's meeting with Belgian Ambassador Peter Maddens, where both countries discussed strengthening cooperation through diaspora engagement, education and labour mobility.
"The discussion highlighted the need for structured, ethical, and mutually beneficial frameworks for labour mobility. Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation and advancing shared priority areas that support sustainable development," Diaspora Affairs department said after the meeting.
Ambassador Maddens told the Star that his embassy is open to facilitating the structure labour mobility fro Kenyans.
“Isn’t it interesting that for the whole diaspora, before moving abroad, their first interaction with their “new” home was with that country’s embassy here in Nairobi. So our relationship is built on these peoples’ dreams. That’s why we must work together,” he said.
In talks with Italian Ambassador Vincenzo Del Monaco,
discussions centred on enhancing labour mobility, promoting people-to-people
ties and facilitating the exchange of knowledge, skills and technology to
create opportunities for Kenya's skilled workforce.
The government's outreach has extended beyond Europe.
Last week, Kenya signed an MoU on Diaspora Affairs with Armenia, broadening cooperation into youth engagement, cultural exchange and knowledge sharing.
Announcing the agreement, Njogu said diaspora communities should no longer be viewed merely as citizens living abroad.
"Diaspora communities are not just citizens abroad. They are partners in development, innovation, investment, and diplomacy," she said, reflecting what increasingly appears to be Kenya's evolving diaspora policy.
Canada has also signalled plans to deepen migration cooperation with Kenya.
Following discussions with Njogu, Canadian High Commissioner Joshua Tabah said Ottawa had "big plans to increase safe, regular and legal migration between Kenya and Canada" and looked forward to working closely with Diaspora Affairs.
The flurry of engagements suggests Kenya is broadening its labour export strategy beyond its traditional focus on the Gulf region to include Europe and North America.
In these regions ageing populations and skills shortages are driving demand for workers in sectors such as healthcare, construction, agriculture, manufacturing and information technology.
Rather than treating labour migration solely as an employment issue, Nairobi is increasingly presenting it as an instrument of economic diplomacy capable of generating jobs, boosting remittances, facilitating technology transfer and strengthening bilateral relations.
Recent records indicate that over 540,000 Kenyans have already secured jobs abroad.
The emphasis on "structured" and "ethical" labour mobility also reflects lessons from previous concerns over the welfare of Kenyan migrant workers, particularly in parts of the Middle East.
Government-to-government frameworks are intended to improve worker protection, regulate recruitment processes and ensure migration takes place through legal channels.
