Government ready to help more Kenyans get employment abroad.

The National Government has expressed its readiness to support initiatives aimed at helping Kenyans get employment abroad.

Labour and Social Services Cabinet Secretary Simon Chelugui says with the ever shrinking job opportunities locally, jobs available abroad can come on handy and help address unemployment.

Speaking during First Choice Recruitment & Consultancy Prayer Meeting at TAC Centre Eldoret, Chelugui noted that Kenyans working abroad have become the top source of the country’s income.

“Through Kenyans abroad, we received Ksh334 billion in the last one year. These are Dollars and pounds that came to develop our country and they have overtaken tea, coffee, and tourism,” said the CS.

Currently it is estimated that there are over 4 million Kenyans that are employed abroad.

The CS also advised Kenyans seeking jobs abroad to ensure they go through government agencies and approved agencies.

“If you travel on your own abroad and face challenges, how will we help you? It’s in your own interest that you go through government agencies as you’re bound to have challenges while abroad like medical or a problem with your employer,” said the Labor CS.

Governor Jackson Mandago EGH who also attended the function said his administration was ready to work with the Ministry of Labor and Employment Authority to give skills to more youths so that they are able to go abroad while well equipped.

Mandago noted that between 2013 and 2017, his administration trained at least 3,000 in skills that they felt there was a gap.

“As a county, all we ask is for support of baseline study in skill gaps in country and globally so that we engage in targeted training approach so that we know where the labour market is and where the starting point will be for our people,” the Governor said.

“We want to invest in skills and will help us retain money that we borrow” he added while lamenting that the country was loosing a lot of money that returns abroad due to mega projects that are usually contracted to foreign companies as a result of lack of expertise locally.

DL group of companies founder and CEO David Lagat on his part said the government should focus of having an engagement with other countries so as to help open more job opportunities for Kenyans.

“It has been a challenge to get jobs especially during the pandemic, and as a country, we should focus on having an engagement with other Countries to open opportunities to the youths now that we have a challenge of getting jobs locally,” said Lagat.

Uasin Gishu County Education CECM Joseph Kurgat welcomed the First Choice Recruitment & Consultancy initiation which he said the county will fully support.

“We’re sensitizing young people to take advantage of such opportunities to other countries,” said the CECM.

Deputy Governor Daniel Chemno, Chief of Staff Dr. Joseph Tanui, Chief Officer for Public Service Management Ann Koech and Chief Officer for Education Jane Njuguna were in attendance.