DOHA, Qatar — President William Ruto has reaffirmed the Kenyan government’s commitment to empowering citizens in the diaspora, ensuring their security, and facilitating their contributions to national growth.
The President made the remarks during an engagement with the Kenyan diaspora community on the sidelines of the United Nations social development summit in Doha.
Streamlining services and job placement
President Ruto detailed key administrative improvements aimed at streamlining services for Kenyans seeking opportunities abroad:
- Passport processing: The government has dramatically reduced the passport processing time from three months to just three days for applicants who have secured job offers. This fast-tracking is intended to facilitate swift deployment.
- Worker protection: The government has intensified its commitment to safeguarding Kenyan workers by closing and deregistering more than 600 rogue labor agencies.
Following the crackdown, the deployment of Kenyan workers is now strictly limited to countries with which Kenya holds formal bilateral labor agreements.
The government is simultaneously pursuing new bilateral agreements aimed at securing skilled and professional job opportunities for Kenyans abroad.
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This strategy seeks to enable Kenyan youth to access better-paying roles, gain advanced skills, and ultimately bring valuable experience back home to contribute to the domestic economy.
Call for continued welfare
The engagement underscored the shared responsibility of supporting the diaspora community. Dr. Omar Farah, Chairperson of Kenyans in Diaspora, called on the government to continue prioritizing the welfare of Kenyans seeking employment overseas.
The government responded by reiterating its commitment to exploring ways that enable the youth to access better-paying roles, gain advanced skills, and bring valuable experience back home.
