Environment Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has said the government is not able to employ all university graduates saying that explains why it has signed several labour migration deals
Duale acknowledged that unemployment is a serious issue in the country adding that the government has entered deals to provide jobs for youths abroad.
“How many governments have we signed labour migration with? And please don’t say Kenyans are fleeing. When people flee they become refugees. Labour migration is not fleeing,” he said.
Duale noted that President William Ruto’s administration has created a conducive environment by signing several labour agreements with various countries.
He listed some of the countries as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar.
He stated that by signing the labour migration deals, the country ensured safety for all who had been and will work abroad.
He said Kenyans have adapted to the market as some have become innovative and gone to the private sector.
Duale said that it is time to configure the country’s education system, adding that Form Four leavers with grades C and below are joining the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVETs).
“This is because what is available in the market is more of practical jobs – plumbers, engineers and such,” he said.
In November 2024, Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua said there are over five million youths who are unemployed in the country and the government was trying to work out different strategies to address the high youth employment.
He said some of the available job opportunities include nursing, gardeners, plant operators, chefs, security guards and housemaids, among many others.
Following the labour migration deals which resulted in the employment of youths in other countries, critics blasted the government for prioritising menial jobs for Kenyans abroad instead of securing formal employment.
They argued that Ruto’s administration is overly focused on exporting labour at the expense of a favourable domestic business climate.
Additionally, some Kenyans have raised concerns about the continued promotion of employment in the Middle East, given reports of exploitation, abuse, and even death among Kenyan workers in the region.
