NAIROBI/BERLIN, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Hundreds of individuals are lining up at schools in provincial towns and convention halls in large cities, hoping to secure a job as part of Kenya's ambitious employment drive. Some hold advanced diplomas, while others have only completed primary education.
The Kenyan government's goal this year is to fill a million jobs in Europe, the Middle East, and other affluent countries, aiming to equip young Kenyans with skills and income to benefit the domestic economy.
Lydia Mukii, a 27-year-old clinical psychologist, expressed the sentiment shared by many:"There are no job opportunities here, so we are left with no option but to go outside Kenya." Recruiting events like the one seen in Machakos include promotions for jobs such as pre-school teaching in Germany and farm work in Denmark.
This initiative marks Kenya's deliberate move towards promoting labor migration to drive national development, influenced by successful practices in Asian countries like Bangladesh.
Kenya’s Minister of Labour, Alfred Mutua, emphasized the value of exporting labor for economic gains: “We can ... export our labor and make a lot of money.” The rationale behind this strategy is that while around a million Kenyans enter the job market annually, only a fraction secure formal employment. Wages in targeted countries are significantly higher than in Kenya, and remittances play a role in supporting families back home.
Despite the potential benefits, the endeavor is not without risks, given the growing anti-immigration sentiment in many European countries and the United States.
As part of this initiative, Kenya facilitated the emigration of over 200,000 workers in the last two years and aims to export a million annually in the next three years, structuring job fairs, visa processes, and agreements with partner countries to enable and regulate labor migration.