Mudavadi urges Kenyans to verify overseas jobs

Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi during the fourth Annual Employment and Labour Relations Symposium and Exhibition on September 16, 2026. [Jenipher Wachie, Standard]

Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has urged Kenyans seeking employment abroad to verify every job offer through official government channels.

Mudavadi warn that the promise of lucrative overseas work can expose unsuspecting jobseekers to trafficking, exploitation and even armed conflicts.

The Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs noted that the Government was expanding opportunities for Kenyans to work abroad but stressed that labour mobility must be accompanied by safeguards to protect workers’ rights and dignity.

Speaking during the fourth Annual Employment and Labour Relations Symposium and Exhibition (ELRASE IV) at Strathmore University, Mudavadi said Kenyans should confirm overseas  employment opportunities through the Ministry of Labour, the National Employment Authority and the State Department for Diaspora Affairs.

“I urge our young people to verify every overseas job opportunity through official Government channels. A promising opportunity should never come at the cost of your safety,” Mudavadi said.

Mudavadi said labour mobility had become a central component of Kenya’s foreign policy and economic diplomacy as the Government seeks to create employment opportunities in international labour markets.

He said Kenya had entered into labour arrangements with countries including the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Germany, Austria and Italy, while negotiations with other countries were ongoing.

Through the Kazi Majuu programme and government-to-government labour agreements, the Government is seeking to create structured pathways for Kenyans to secure jobs abroad.

Government figures show the scale of the programme has grown significantly.  In March 2026, President William Ruto said more than 540,000 Kenyans had secured employment opportunities abroad through the overseas employment programme, while a more recent government update put the figure at more than 580,000.

“Recent records indicate that over 540,000 Kenyans have secured employment abroad. Our diaspora remittances exceeded $5 billion in 2025, making them our largest single source of foreign exchange,” Mudavadi said.

But the growing numbers have also exposed Kenyans to risks associated with fraudulent recruitment.

Mudavadi said the Government had deregistered more than 600 recruitment agencies suspected of malpractice.

Previous government statements have similarly reported that more than 600 agencies had been deregistered, while hundreds of licensed agencies remain under regulatory oversight.

He said some Kenyans had been deceived into unsafe jobs, trafficked into exploitative situations or recruited into foreign conflicts.

The Government has also been involved in efforts to repatriate Kenyans affected by the Russia-Ukraine conflict and people trapped in scam compounds in Southeast Asia.

“These are not just statistics; they represent the lives and  dignity of our brothers and sisters,” Mudavadi said.

The Government has increasingly focused on vetting recruitment agencies and strengthening safeguards for migrant workers.

The National Employment Authority plays a role in licensing, vetting and monitoring private employment agencies, while government-to-government recruitment is intended to provide more structured pathways.

Mudavadi also challenged the Judiciary and legal practitioners to strengthen access to justice for Kenyan migrant workers, particularly low-wage domestic workers who may face significant power imbalances when disputes arise abroad.

He said migrant workers often navigate different legal systems, economic hardship and trauma while attempting to pursue justice.

“Their justice journeys often traverse multiple jurisdictions, power imbalances, trauma, and economic precarity,” he said.

He called for stronger mechanisms within bilateral labour agreements to resolve disputes and urged Kenyan courts and justice institutions to examine how employment rights can be protected across borders.

“How can we strengthen our bilateral labour agreements to include robust dispute resolution mechanisms? “How can our courts exercise jurisdiction effectively across borders?” Mudavadi asked.

He also challenged stakeholders to explore alternative dispute resolution and technology as ways of making justice more accessible to migrant workers.

Mudavadi said Kenya would continue expanding regular and orderly labour migration while strengthening safeguards against exploitation.

“Creating pathways to jobs must go hand in hand with protecting our people,” he said.

He called for cooperation among the Judiciary, legal practitioners, employers, workers’ representatives and development partners to ensure overseas employment remains a source of opportunity rather than vulnerability.

The warning comes as Kenya increasingly positions labour mobility as part of its economic strategy, with overseas employment providing income for thousands of households and remittances becoming an important source of foreign exchange.