By Nathan Ombuni, Kisumu
Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Labour and Social Protection, Alfred Mutua, has called on the youth of Kisumu and the surrounding regions to take full advantage of the ongoing overseas job recruitment drive.
Speaking at the National Industrial Training Authority (NITA) in Kisumu, Mutua encouraged the youth to turn up in large numbers for the two-day exercise, which kicked off on Friday.
The nitiative, held on the sidelines of the Nyanza International Investment Conference (NIIC), is part of Kenya Kwanza government’s commitment to expanding employment opportunities for Kenyans abroad.
“We will continue to streamline labour migration processes to ensure that our people access safe, dignified, and well-paying jobs in various sectors, including ICT, construction, hospitality, healthcare, transport, and domestic work,” said Dr Mutua
He specifically urged youth from Kisumu, Migori, Siaya, Homabay, and Kisii to attend the event on today (Saturday), stressing that this is a rare opportunity to secure employment abroad.
“I want to ask the young people of Nyanza, there are thousands of young people without jobs, come and try your luck. There are even jobs for those without specific skills, such as cleaners, housemaids, and laborers,” Mutua said
“I went to a country and they listed the foreign nationalities, and Kenyans were about 30,000. They said the only group that caused a strike were Kenyans. The only group that agitated were Kenyans. They questioned why it seems that Kenyans always resort to demonstrations and agitation,” ~ Mutua
The CS reassured jobless youth of the attractive benefits that come with the overseas opportunities.
“Come and try your luck because you could secure a job abroad with a salary of Sh40, 000 per month, plus food and housing provided,” he explained. “The reality is that there are many people here with no jobs, but in some countries, jobs are available, but they lack people to fill them.”
However, Mutua cautioned that some Kenyans had developed a negative reputation abroad, particularly when it came to activism. He recalled his experience visiting a foreign country where Kenyans were a significant portion of the migrant workforce, but had also been at the center of protests.
“I went to a country and they listed the foreign nationalities, and Kenyans were about 30,000. They said the only group that caused a strike were Kenyans. The only group that agitated were Kenyans. They questioned why it seems that Kenyans always resort to demonstrations and agitation,” Mutua said. “This has become a problem.”
In response, CS Mutua revealed plans to introduce a pre-departure program aimed at educating Kenyans on how to behave respectfully and responsibly while working abroad.
This initiative, he explained, will help safeguard the image of Kenyans overseas and ensure their smooth integration into foreign work environments.
