Kenya is stepping up organised overseas job placement programmes while also leaning more on blended financing models to push forward delayed infrastructure projects, Deputy Government Spokesperson Gabriel Muthama has said.
He explained that the country is shifting toward structured labour export systems and public-private partnerships as part of a wider plan to strengthen employment opportunities and speed up delivery of public projects, while also improving how workers are recruited and protected abroad.
Speaking on Friday during a Radio Generation interview, Muthuma said Kenya has made progress in formalising labour migration, with more young people now securing jobs abroad through regulated channels for both skilled and semi-skilled work.
“We are continuing to do some great things,” he said, pointing to growing labour mobility flows to the Middle East and other regions.
He noted that Kenyan workers are increasingly taking up specialised roles overseas, including engineering, accounting, and aviation, with destinations such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, South Africa, and parts of Europe and Asia receiving more Kenyan professionals.
According to him, this growing demand reflects the strength of Kenya’s training institutions and education system, which continues to produce a competitive workforce for global markets.
“You will find Kenyans soon in many parts of the southern continent and Commonwealth countries,” he said, adding that Kenyan engineers have long contributed to major infrastructure projects across Africa, especially in road construction.
Muthuma said labour migration has changed over time, pointing out that earlier movements abroad were largely informal and lacked government oversight or formal protections.
He said the current system is more structured, supported by government-to-government agreements that improve accountability and reduce risks for workers.
“Now the government actually ensures that you have gone to this employer under a proper arrangement,” he said, adding that authorities are now able to track Kenyan workers abroad and respond more quickly when issues arise.
He contrasted this with past recruitment systems where intermediaries dominated the process, often leaving workers exposed due to lack of formal contracts or state supervision.
On infrastructure, he defended the government’s approach to stalled projects, saying the administration inherited a large backlog of unpaid bills that slowed down construction works across the country.
He said many contractors had abandoned sites due to delayed payments, particularly in road projects that had remained unfinished for years.
“The first item that the President found on his desk was pending bills, the roads being a key huge item,” he said, noting that some projects date back to 2016 and 2017.
He added that the government has since worked with development partners and Parliament to mobilise funds aimed at clearing arrears and getting contractors back to work on stalled sites.
“He went around, he convinced development partners, he convinced Parliament, and he got the money,” Muthuma said, adding that this has helped revive economic activity in areas affected by incomplete infrastructure.
He further defended the role of national leadership in shaping infrastructure priorities, saying coordination between the executive and Parliament is necessary to move major projects forward.
“The President does not follow robotic instructions,” he said, arguing that leadership decisions play a central role in driving development plans and resource allocation.
On financing, he highlighted public-private partnerships as an important tool for delivering large-scale projects such as roads and stadiums, noting that not all development depends solely on annual budget funding.
He said several ongoing projects are now being structured through alternative financing arrangements outside the traditional budget cycle, allowing faster execution in some cases.
Muthuma concluded that Kenya’s development path is increasingly being shaped by labour export reforms, infrastructure recovery efforts, and diversified financing approaches aimed at boosting economic stability and expanding opportunities for citizens both locally and abroad.