Kenya’s recent dip in foreign job contracts, falling by 54.3 percent in the fiscal year ending June 2024, underscores the precariousness of its reliance on overseas labor markets as a solution to its unemployment crisis. This marks the third year of declining government-approved overseas jobs, reflecting both a crackdown on fraudulent recruitment practices and diminishing job orders from destination countries. Despite more than 243,000 Kenyans securing international employment since September 2022, safety concerns and reduced demand have underscored the risky nature of this approach. Stricter oversight and mandatory contract attestations are steps toward protecting workers, yet they fail to address the fundamental issues underlying Kenya’s employment landscape. While President Ruto’s administration views overseas markets as essential, this strategy offers only a temporary reprieve and highlights the urgency to develop sustainable, long-term solutions domestically.

Drawing parallels with Qatar’s successful economic transformation in the early 2000s, Kenya can learn valuable lessons to tackle its current unemployment crisis. Qatar’s investment in education and skills training equipped its youth to meet evolving market demands, and similar initiatives are critical in Kenya as well. By realigning its education system to focus on skills relevant to emerging sectors like technology and renewable energy, Kenya can enhance job readiness among its youth. Further, fostering public-private partnerships would facilitate job creation and stimulate economic growth. Qatar’s emphasis on attracting foreign investment by creating a business-friendly environment enabled it to diversify its economy, and Kenya could benefit from similar policies. With tax incentives, simplified business processes, and improved access to credit, Kenya can encourage foreign companies to invest, paving the way for enhanced job opportunities and economic resilience.

To build a more robust and sustainable economy, Kenya must pivot from short-term labor export strategies and instead focus on internal economic development. Enhancing the skill sets of the local workforce and fostering innovation through hubs and incubators are crucial steps. The Kenyan government should work towards reducing economic informality by nurturing small and medium enterprises through supportive policy frameworks. Public-private partnerships in skills development, along with attracting foreign investment, would be central in generating quality jobs and alleviating the current sense of frustration and hopelessness among Kenyan youth. By adopting an integrated approach that draws from successful global strategies, Kenya can tackle its unemployment challenges and foster a thriving domestic economy, reducing the need for potentially precarious overseas opportunities.

References:

Nation Lessons from Qatar on jobs

The Standard Revealed: The Hidden costs in diaspora jobs deal

The Star Saudi Arabia team in Kenya to recruit 500 nannies

The Star CS Mutua sees off Kenyan workers bound for Qatar jobs

Kenyans.co.ke CS Alfred Mutua Announces Action after Low Success Rate in Qatar Job Recruitment

Julisha Diaspora Jobs Drop 54%, as Demand for Kenyans Fall

The Standard Promise of jobs abroad as youth become restless