Government to Deploy 10,000 Kenyans Weekly for Overseas Jobs – Dr. Mutua.
The Kenyan government has unveiled plans to facilitate the weekly recruitment and deployment of 5,000 to 10,000 Kenyans for overseas jobs.
Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary Dr. Alfred Mutua shared the details during a meeting in Nairobi with private recruitment agencies and home care training institutions.
Dr. Mutua emphasized the government’s intention to work with financial institutions to provide credit to job seekers, which would expedite the deployment process.
He explained that the availability of credit would allow quicker processing of documents, ultimately increasing the number of Kenyans sent abroad. The target is to dispatch 5,000 to 10,000 individuals weekly.
Reforms in Recruitment and Deployment
Dr. Mutua also announced reforms to streamline recruitment and deployment. A key change is the introduction of a new registration system for employment agencies.
The initial registration certificate for new agencies will now be valid for one year and will cost Ksh.500,000.
Renewal of these certificates will be extended from one year to two years, with the renewal fee set at Ksh.500,000 for two years or Ksh.250,000 for a one-year renewal option.
These reforms, effective from September 23, will also apply to those holding renewal notifications. The National Employment Authority (NEA) has been fully staffed to ensure compliance with these new regulations.
Enhanced Pre-Departure Training Programs
In addition to recruitment reforms, changes have been made to pre-departure training. The training duration for homecare management and pre-departure orientation has been reduced from 26 days to 14 days.
Homecare training will now take 10 days, while pre-departure orientation will be completed in 4 days. For other skilled migrant workers, pre-departure training will be reduced to 2 days, with assessments completed in 5 days and certification issued within 3 days.
The assessment system will allocate 65% of the total score to practical evaluations conducted by the National Industrial Training Authority (NITA), 25% to continuous evaluations by trainers, and 10% to pre-departure theory, which will cover literacy and civic education.
The pass mark for these evaluations is set at 60%. NITA will distribute revised guidelines to trainers by November 1.
Exemptions and Cultural Adaptation
To further support migrant workers, those who have completed contracts as domestic workers in Gulf countries will be exempt from the homecare and pre-departure training.
Additionally, Dr. Mutua emphasized the importance of cultural training specific to destination countries. NITA is constructing a model house in Mombasa, designed to replicate an Arabic home, to help domestic workers prepare for employment in Saudi Arabia.
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NITA will also provide trainers with images and designs illustrating the standards for an Arabic home. The maximum cost for homecare management and pre-departure training will be capped at Ksh.14,000.
By implementing these reforms, the Kenyan government aims to enhance the efficiency of overseas employment while ensuring that workers are well-prepared for their roles abroad.
Government to Deploy 10,000 Kenyans Weekly for Overseas Jobs – Dr. Mutua.
