Government to Document Departure of Domestic Workers

The Kenyan government led by Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary Florence Bore has unveiled plans to establish a registration desk at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

This initiative aims to systematically record the departure of domestic workers, with a specific focus on monitoring quantities and destinations of migrant workers. During a Thursday meeting addressing labor migration between Kenya and Saudi Arabia, CS Florence Bore emphasized the government's commitment to enhancing the organization of labor migration, particularly to Saudi Arabia.

Notably, Saudi Arabia stands as Kenya's primary destination for domestic workers. Bore highlights a significant achievement in eliminating fraudulent recruitment agencies responsible for sending workers to Saudi Arabia. According to the CS, the government has successfully reduced the number of these agencies from 900 to approximately 500-600, with further plans to reduce them to around 100.

The CS announces that Ruto's regime has secured 2,500 nursing positions for Kenyans in Saudi Arabia. She says that the government is actively engaged in completing necessary documentation for diploma and degree holders, anticipating relocation by mid-January. Bore emphasises the government's willingness to collaborate with the Saudi government, intending to enhance the wellbeing of migrant workers.

“We have gotten an opportunity to take 2,500 nursing job opportunities in Saudi Arabia and we are in the process of finalising the paperwork to have diploma and degree graduates travel to Saudi Arabia by mid-January,” Says Bore.

Since the inception of domestic worker recruitment for Saudi Arabia in 1998, the number of agencies involved has seen substantial growth, increasing from five to 600. According to Bore, the current number of Kenyan workers in Saudi Arabia exceeds 200,000. 70 per cent of these individuals are underskilled while the remaining 30 per cent are either semi-skilled or professionals.