This archive report was first published on 21 June 2021.
As the country seeks to boost its economy, the government has embarked on a mission to export skilled labour to other countries, particularly in the Middle East.
According to Peter Tum, Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, the government has partnered with more than 700 institutions to provide skills to youth in search of jobs and those seeking to further their studies.
These institutions have been approved by the National Industrial Training Institute (NITA), which has collaborated with the Ministry of Education to ensure the courses offered are marketable internationally.
The government aims to export more than 30,000 technical labourers before the end of the current financial year, with the goal of increasing remittances that will spur economic growth.
Speaking on the initiative, Tum noted that the country will only export surplus labour, as there is also a gap for middle-level technicians in Kenya's labour market.
He cited the example of Kenyans working in Qatar and other Middle Eastern countries, who in the last one year increased remittances from Sh48 billion to Sh92 billion.
The Ministry is currently undertaking Rapid Results Initiative (RRI) negotiations with some countries to absorb surplus labour from Kenya.
Meanwhile, Murang'a County Commissioner Fredrick Ndunga has been mobilizing locals to register their children for the courses at tertiary institutions, with the chiefs sensitizing the community on the importance of enrolling their children in tertiary institutions.
