The Kenyan government has announced a nationwide recruitment exercise aimed at connecting qualified citizens with jobs abroad, amid ongoing concerns over past abuses in diaspora employment schemes.
Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua said the drive will take place at NITA Mombasa and NITA Athi River from October 29 to 31, 2025.
Mutua explained that the initiative, part of the “Kazi Majuu” programme, will involve only vetted recruitment agencies and offers two-year contracts that include accommodation, food, transport, and medical coverage.
Applicants must bring their national ID, academic certificates, passport or proof of application, photographs, and other necessary documents. A commission will be charged to cover airfare, visa processing, medical checks, training, and documentation.
This programme comes after months of scrutiny over allegations that some recruitment agencies exploited job seekers.
In April 2025, the Senate Committee on Labour and Social Welfare, chaired by Kajiado Senator Lenku Seki, launched an investigation into claims that NEA-accredited agencies defrauded over 300 Kenyans.
The committee summoned Mutua and officials from the National Employment Authority to ensure victims either recovered their funds or were placed in employment as promised.
Reports from December 2024 show that the Kabete recruitment drive targeted roles such as carpentry, driving, and masonry. While applicants were initially asked to pay Sh15,000 for medical checks, many later faced additional charges.
Calvin Nyamweya, an orphan seeking work in Qatar, said he and others were unexpectedly asked to pay extra fees despite prior assurances that the process was free. At a later session at Kenyatta International Conference Centre, job seekers were told to pay Sh40,000 more for visa facilitation and certificates of good conduct.
Parliamentary committees in May and June 2025 further investigated claims that some counties were favored and that thousands of applicants were left stranded or misled.
MPs demanded that the Ministry of Labour and the National Employment Authority introduce stricter oversight and accountability measures. In response, the government published a list of 32 unlicensed or fraudulent recruitment agencies in May 2025 and identified additional rogue operators by July, establishing a multi-agency taskforce to clamp down on misconduct.
Human rights organizations have also highlighted the risks faced by Kenyans abroad. Investigations in 2024–2025 documented abuse, unpaid wages, and unexplained deaths among Kenyan workers in Gulf countries.
A March 2025 regional study recorded hundreds of deaths in Saudi Arabia, while Amnesty International reported serious exploitation of migrant domestic workers.
Recent government data show a worrying trend: 305 Kenyans died abroad in 2024, up from 270 in 2023.
The United States, India, and Uganda recorded the highest fatalities, with other deaths reported across the UK, Tanzania, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, UAE, Qatar, and Canada. Men accounted for most deaths, though female fatalities exceeded male numbers in some age groups, particularly 30–34, 50–54, and 65–69.
The Labour Ministry says the current exercise is tightly regulated, with interviews at NITA centres to reduce middlemen, vetted agencies, and coordination with the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs for consular support.
Mutua said it “aligns with the Government’s commitment to providing meaningful employment to Kenyans while ensuring fair terms and conditions of work.”
Despite these assurances, MPs and critics continue to call for deeper reforms, including binding bilateral labour agreements, stronger penalties for rogue agents, and robust complaint and repatriation mechanisms.
For jobseekers, interviews start October 29 in Mombasa and continue October 30–31 in Athi River, with applicants urged to verify agencies and register through official channels.
