Kenyans will by this December have increased access to professional job opportunities in Qatar in a new deal brokered by President William Ruto.
The Head of State made the revelation Monday evening after holding talks with a delegation from Qatar at State House, Nairobi.
The President said the meeting was aimed at strengthening their bilateral cooperation in areas of mutual interest between Kenya and Qatar.
“We are working to eliminate barriers to labour mobility to create job opportunities for skilled Kenyans in Qatar. Under a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) set to take effect in December 2024, Kenyan workers will gain increased access to professional roles in sectors such as health, ICT, education and hospitality, with equal pay and benefits comparable to those of their international counterparts,” Ruto said in a statement.
The Qatari delegation was led by the Minister of Labour, Dr Ali bin Samikh Al-Marri, accompanied by Qatar’s Ambassador to Kenya, Mohammed Mutair Al-Enazi.
Ruto has been advocating for labour tourism, and his numerous visits to foreign countries have seen him strike various job contracts for Kenyans.
One such bilateral labour agreement came in mid-September during the President’s visit to Berlin.
The German Interior Ministry, however, refuted claims that there was a specific number of Kenyans who would secure employment in the country after some media outlets pegged the number at 250,000.
Ruto said the labour mobility agreement with Germany would start as early as September 27.
"When I announced that we would have a chance for Kenyan youths to work in Germany, others said I was lying, but on Friday they knew there was a plan and a possibility, and while I was there on Friday, some Kenyans were already there to work," the President said.
He spoke during a Sunday church service at the Stewards Revival Pentecostal Church in Embakasi on September 15.
During Monday’s meeting with the Qatari delegation, Ruto said they also explored potential Qatari investments in Kenya, including support for the Affordable Housing Programme.