The Standard Group Plc is a multi-media organization with investments in media
platforms spanning newspaper print
operations, television, radio broadcasting, digital and online services. The
Standard Group is recognized as a
leading multi-media house in Kenya with a key influence in matters of national and
international interest.
At least 583,868 Kenyans were placed in foreign employment between 2022 and the first quarter of 2026, with 42,444 additional workers deployed during the third quarter of the Financial Year 2025/26, the Parliament has heard.
National Employment Authority (NEA) Director of Labour Migration, Joseph Njue, yesterday told the National Assembly Committee on Diaspora Affairs and Migrant Workers that female workers accounted for approximately 59.7 per cent of cumulative placements, while male workers represented 40.3 per cent, reflecting the continued demand for occupations traditionally dominated by women, particularly domestic and caregiving services.
He said the declared foreign vacancies increased from just over 20,000 opportunities in 2023 to more than 780,000 in 2024, then stabilised at nearly 600,000 in 2025.
“This growth demonstrates increasing international demand for Kenyan workers and reflects enhanced cooperation between Kenya and destination-country employers. Saudi Arabia accounted for the largest share of declared vacancies, while increasing opportunities in Germany, Austria and Poland indicate gradual market diversification,” Njue said.
Njue made the remarks when he presented a report on Kenyan migrant workers to the committee chaired by Taita Taveta County MP, Lydia Haika.
The report has shown that female participation exceeds that of male workers, largely because of sustained international demand for domestic workers and caregivers, while male workers continue to dominate occupations such as transport, construction and protective services.
Njue said that the period under review, 2023 to 2026, has demonstrated sustained growth in foreign employment despite fluctuations in global labour markets.
“Foreign deployment increased significantly in 2024 following a substantial expansion in labour demand, particularly from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Although placements moderated in 2025, they remained well above the levels recorded in 2023, indicating that international demand for Kenyan workers continues to be strong. The placement of 42,444 workers during the third quarter of 2026 suggests that foreign employment will remain robust,” Njue said.
He said the predominance of female workers reflects the structure of international labour demand, particularly in domestic work, caregiving and related occupations, with the gender profile underscoring the need for gender- responsive policies that address specific welfare, protection and support requirements of both female and male migrant workers.
But even with labour migration contributing significantly to employment creation, Njue said several challenges continue to affect the realisation of its full socio-economic benefits.
He said the majority of foreign employment opportunities remain concentrated in low-skilled occupations, particularly domestic work and elementary services, while opportunities for skilled professionals remain comparatively limited.
Similarly, Kenya's foreign labour market remains heavily dependent on a few destination countries, exposing migrant workers and the national labour migration programme to potential economic and geopolitical risks.
Other challenges include skills mismatches, inadequate labour market information, unethical recruitment practices by unlicensed actors, limited market diversification, and the need for continuous monitoring of migrant worker welfare.
The GCC countries remain Kenya's principal labour markets, accounting for the majority of foreign deployments, reflecting sustained demand in domestic work, transport, hospitality and construction.
“Although placements remain concentrated within the Gulf region, Kenya has continued to expand labour cooperation with emerging markets including Germany, Poland, Australia, Canada and other European countries, which are expected to provide greater opportunities for skilled and professional workers,” he explained.
While domestic work remains dominant, emerging labour markets are increasingly seeking healthcare professionals, engineers, ICT specialists, skilled tradespersons and hospitality professionals, presenting an opportunity for Kenya to strengthen skills development programmes.
“Analysis of NEA’s administrative data indicates that foreign employment continues to be concentrated in a relatively small number of destination countries. Saudi Arabia remains the lead destination, followed by Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait and Oman. Collectively, these countries account for more than 90 per cent of all verified foreign placements,” he told the committee.
Saudi Arabia accounts for nearly four out of every five Kenyan migrant workers deployed abroad. Qatar and the United Arab Emirates remain important labour markets, while Kuwait and Oman continue to absorb Kenyan workers at comparatively lower volumes.
The relatively modest numbers recorded in Germany, Canada and other developed economies reflect higher qualification requirements and professional licensing processes, rather than a lack of opportunity. These markets offer greater potential for high-skilled employment and long-term career development.
Between March 2022 and March 2026, total placements in Saudi Arabia stood at 463,568, followed by Qatar with 49,495, the United Arab Emirates with 34,987, Kuwait with 8,388, then Oman with 7,099, with the lowest recorded in Bahrain at 812, followed by the USA/Canada with 1,112 and then Russia/Kazakhstan at 1,795.
Haika raised the issue of decreased number of Trainers of trainers, who are critical in the process of labour migration, even as they sought the numbers in China, Iran and Africa, which have close relations with Kenya.
“China is our good friend, and we have done a lot of business with them; what is the placement situation? The other country is Iran; so many youths are going to Iran; I don't know whether they have done it through private arrangement or if it is also under the government-to-government framework. The other area is our African countries; do we have workers there or any bilateral agreement to take our workers there?” posed Likoni MP, Mishi Mboko.
Njue said that there are some countries where people have gone on a personal level but Africa still offers a huge opportunity; for instance, in South Africa, the xenophobic trends notwithstanding, and agreed the need to look into bilateral agreements for African countries to trade with Kenya.
He said that cases of women being frustrated, especially in Saudi Arabia, have gone down.
“Sometimes when you go through social media, you however get to learn that some of our Kenyans are exporting our Kenyan behaviours to those countries. Sometimes, some run away from their employer to go and work elsewhere. So, how to deal with those people who run away from their employers should also be a case study, where, when someone runs away from your initial employer, we should look for you and bring you back home,” Njue explained.
At the same time, he called for the need to not only increase the number of trainers and trainers (ToTs) recognised by the National Industrial Training Authority (NITA) but also ensure that every migrant worker goes through pre-departure training.
He said this has not been happening, but there is a need to ensure that when migrant workers exit airports, they produce a pre-departure orientation certificate, which will also mean the number of TOTs will rise.
“We know that there are those who go to the airport using a basic visa. Those who go through basic visas pass through this phase because they do not go through the existing recruitment agencies, and that is why brokers make use of that a lot,” he explained.
He said that one of the developments recorded during the review period has been the Government's move to diversify foreign employment destinations beyond the Gulf region.
He noted that countries such as Germany, Poland, Austria, Australia and Canada have increasingly expressed interest in recruiting Kenyan workers, particularly in healthcare, engineering, construction, manufacturing, hospitality and technical occupations.
