Govt Secures Jobs for Skilled Kenyans in Hong Kong

The Kenyan government has moved closer to achieving its goal of providing one million foreign jobs after signing an important agreement with Hong Kong on Tuesday, June 27. 

The State Department for Diaspora Affairs Principal Secretary, Roseline Njogu, revealed the deal after meeting with Chris Sun, Secretary of the Labour and Welfare Bureau of the Special Administrative Region. During the session, Njogu and her team were successful in negotiating job openings for both unskilled workers and graduates. 

“We met to discuss employment opportunities and the welfare and rights of Kenyan workers in Hong Kong. Hong Kong will employ non-skilled, semi-skilled and professionals in various sectors of the economy,” PS Njogu announced.  

Njogu has fulfilled Ruto's initiative to deliver suitable employment opportunities overseas for Kenyans depending on their qualifications and work ethic. The PS touted the meeting as successful, saying that the Sun-led delegation agreed to offer jobs to Kenyans in Hong Kong. On the other hand, Sun pointed out that Hong Kong shifted its focus to Kenya to suffice the Nation's brimming need for skilled labourers. He added that recruiting from abroad is their response to the declining active labour force in the country. 

Hong Kong has reviewed its recruitment laws to permit employers to hire foreign nationals, the outcome coming as a victory for Kenya. This means Kenyans have the chance to apply for positions in Hong Kong's public sector, as well as multiple opportunities in the private sector. On Saturday, June 18, Ruto said that Kenya had finalized pacts with more than five foreign countries to provide them with labour. These countries included Germany, Barbados, the US, the UK and Canada. According to PS Njogu, the first wave of expatriates will leave for Hong Kong starting in July 2023.