Kenya Seeks Help Abroad to Solve Unemployment Crisis

The government through the Ministry of Labour is seeking to simplify the process of securing jobs abroad to help solve the unemployment crisis in the country.

Labour Cabinet Secretary Simon Chelugui revealed that the government is in the process of finalising deals with countries from the Middle East to absorb jobless Kenyans.

"Through the National Employment Authority (NEA), we are also in the process of concluding bilateral labour agreements with Bahrain, Oman, Jordan and Kuwait and skilled labour for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia," he explained.

Cabinet Secretary Labour & Social Protection, Simon Chelugui speaks during a press conference.
File

Chelugui added that Kenyans are set to get opportunities to migrate, live and work in Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom and Poland.

The CS also urged NEA to explore various ways of helping skilled workers and professionals secure numerous job opportunities abroad as well as add different destination countries.

Many semi and low-skilled Kenyans have migrated to Middle East where they are absorbed in the hospitality, construction, security, transport, cleaning and domestic services sectors.

There has however been complaints from Kenyans who secure jobs in the Gulf, many of them citing poor working conditions and claims of little help coming from the Embassy. 

The move is set to solve the high rate of unemployment in the country with Kenya unable to absorb more than 400,000 youth who join the labour market annually.

The number of people that have been rendered jobless has significantly increased since the Covid-19 pandemic hit the country back in March. 

According to data from the Kenya National Beaureu of Stasitics released in August 2020, every modern sector company in the country has lost at least 33 jobs on average since the onset of the pandemic.

The government also plans to establish a migrants workers' welfare fund to support Kenyans working in foreign countries during an emergency.

The Labour Ministry is also in the process of creating job centres across the country where people can visit either physically or digitally to access jobs that merit their qualification threshold has begun.

Jobseekers queuing on Wabera Street, Nairobi, waiting to be interviewed by The Sarova Stanley on May 26, 2018.
Daily Nation