NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenyans seeking employment in Saudi Arabia could soon pay less to secure overseas jobs after the governments of Kenya and Saudi Arabia signed a Letter of Intent aimed at reducing recruitment costs and improving labour mobility between the two countries.
Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua announced the development on Saturday, November 14, 2026, saying the agreement establishes a framework for closer cooperation in the recruitment of Kenyan workers for employment opportunities in the Gulf nation.
The initiative seeks to ease the financial burden on jobseekers, who have frequently raised concerns over high recruitment charges, including payments to agents, transportation expenses and work permit processing fees.
“We signed a Letter of Intent outlining a framework for enhanced cooperation in the recruitment of Kenyan workers to Saudi Arabia reflecting our shared commitment to reducing recruitment costs, expanding employment opportunities for Kenyans and promoting fair, transparent and sustainable labour mobility between our two countries,” Mutua stated.
The CS said lowering recruitment expenses would allow workers to retain more of their earnings, build savings and invest in their future, while making overseas employment more accessible.
However, Mutua did not disclose the proposed new recruitment charges or specify how much jobseekers could save under the arrangement.
Kenyan workers face high recruitment charges
The agreement comes amid persistent complaints from Kenyans seeking employment abroad over the high costs associated with securing jobs, particularly in Saudi Arabia.
The expenses can include transport, work permits, documentation and fees charged by recruitment agents.
According to an investigative report by Amnesty International, some Kenyan jobseekers have been charged up to Ksh45,000 in recruitment agent fees.
Other agents have allegedly demanded or threatened to charge workers as much as Ksh300,000 if they changed their minds and withdrew from the recruitment process after completing initial training.
These financial demands have raised concerns about exploitation and the risks faced by workers who borrow money or sell property to secure overseas employment.
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Mutua said the high cost of recruitment was a major issue raised during discussions with Saudi officials.
“A key issue in our discussions was the high cost of recruitment, which places an unnecessary financial burden on Kenyans seeking employment abroad. Our position was that reducing these costs would allow workers to retain more of their earnings, save and invest in their future, while making overseas employment more accessible,” he added.
Three-month pilot to test lower recruitment costs
The proposed changes will initially be implemented through a three-month pilot programme involving recruitment agencies from Kenya and Saudi Arabia.
Participation will be voluntary, with agencies allowed to join if they are willing and able to operate within the proposed recruitment cost ceiling.
Agencies that cannot or do not wish to meet the ceiling will not be required to participate.
“Participation in the pilot will be voluntary for recruitment agencies on both sides. Agencies willing and able to operate within the proposed cost ceiling will be eligible to participate, while those unable or unwilling to meet the ceiling will not be obliged to do so,” Mutua said.
The pilot is expected to provide a framework for assessing how lower recruitment charges can be implemented while improving transparency and fairness in the hiring process.
The agreement could offer relief to Kenyan jobseekers if the proposed cost limits translate into lower charges across the recruitment process.
However, the actual savings will depend on the final cost ceiling, the agencies participating in the pilot and how the arrangement is implemented.
