Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua has disclosed that there are at least 5,000 Kenyans currently living as refugees in Qatar.
Speaking on Sunday, Mutua said these Kenyans were taken to the Gulf state by rogue agents with the promise of getting them work during the World Cup.
He stated that they had refused to return to Kenya with the hope that they would secure jobs after paying hundreds of thousands of shillings to the rogue agents.
“Currently we've got 5,000 Kenyans stuck in Qatar living as refugees. They were taken there during the World Cup period. Some of the promised jobs they have never realized themselves and because they have paid Sh200,000 to Sh250,000 they have refused to come back until they get a job," Mutua said on Citizen TV.
“5,000 Kenyans who are being fed by the International Organization of Migration every day in Qatar and it's because of these rogue agents in our country.”
The CS also clarified that approximately 50 Kenyans working in Qatar were experiencing some challenges related to their work contracts and there are no Kenyan refugees in Qatar.
"The Government of the Republic of Kenya, through the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, reaffirms the excellent and cordial bilateral relations with the State of Qatar," he said.
"Further, we note with great satisfaction that the Qatari Government has well-articulated and robust legal and policy frameworks for enabling Kenyan workers to function seamlessly and safely while in Qatar. Indeed, the Kenyan Minister for Labour and Social Protection further confirms that Qatar is a safe and favourable destination for Kenyans seeking work opportunities."
According to Mutua Qatar is home to approximately 70,000 (seventy thousand) Kenyans in various job categories, and more are poised to travel in the coming days.
"The Kenyan Minister for Labour and Social Protection Is grateful to the Qatari Government for opening its doors to Kenyan workers and is looking forward to increased collaboration and cooperation," he said.
He also said that what he is currently doing is trying to get rogue agents who have been conning innocent Kenyans from the system.
“What we are trying to do is clean the system," the CS said.
“We have asked people to do this, come and when you are interviewed you pay nothing at all. Once you pass your second interview and get the job there are fees you will need to pay. For example, nobody will pay for you to do medicals and other small process costs which you know where they are going.”
Mutua cited an instance in the recruitment announced last week by the government where over 20,000 Kenyans showed up to try their luck.
During the exercise, the CS said rogue agents had infiltrated the exercise and were already collecting passports from individuals who had shown up for the interviews.
“On the first day at KICC, we had agents who came who
were not part of the process and started to charge people. We discovered a
vehicle with about 40 passports already collected so that they can give money,” Mutua said.
