Govt Aiming To Send Over 200,000 Kenyans To Qatar For Job Opportunities

This is as the government continues its quest to provide employment opportunities for thousands of graduates who are faced with unemployment.

Govt Aiming To Send Over 200,000 Kenyans To Qatar For Job Opportunities
Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua and his Qatar counterpart Saeed Samikh Al-Marri at Kenyatta International Conference Centre in Nairobi on October 6, 2024. /ALFRED MUTUA

Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua on Sunday, October 6 revealed that the Kenya Kwanza government is aiming to increase the number of Kenyans working in Qatar to 200,000 after the country began bilateral talks with Qatar to finalize a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will open doors for skilled Kenyan workers to work in the Gulf state.

CS Mutua spoke while meeting Qatar Labour Minister Dr Ali Saeed Samikh Al-Marri, adding that the new agreement will amend the 2012 Bilateral Labour Agreement, which was primarily focused on unskilled labour migration, and now focus on skilled sectors.

This is as the government continues its quest to provide employment opportunities for thousands of graduates who are faced with unemployment.

"I had the honour of leading our delegation in the discussions with Qatar’s Minister of Labour, His Excellency Saeed Samikh Al-Marri, and his team," he stated in part.

Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua in a meeting with a Qatari delegation at Kenyatta International Conference Centre in Nairobi on October 6, 2024. /ALFRED MUTUA

"The talks, held at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), are a significant step toward expanding our labour export market, especially as Qatar continues its ambitious development projects."

According to the CS, the projects have created a growing demand for skilled workers in various sectors, including ICT, health, education, infrastructure, and agriculture.

He divulged that the MoU will open thousands of opportunities for skilled Kenyans to contribute to Qatar’s growth while gaining valuable experience and bettering their livelihoods.

"The talks reaffirm Kenya’s commitment to providing ethical, trained, and well-prepared workers to meet Qatar’s needs while ensuring that our workers are protected and treated fairly," he continued.

Alongside Principal Secretaries Shadrack Mwadime (Labour), Joseph Motari (Social Protection), and key officials from the National Employment Authority (NEA) and the National Industrial Training Authority (NITA), the government, according to Mutua, has engaged with Qatar to ensure that the partnership benefits both countries. 

"We have also agreed to establish a Qatar Visa Centre in Nairobi, which will streamline the migration process, ensuring contracts are properly signed and that all necessary documentation is completed before workers leave for Qatar," he went on.

The CS revealed that currently, about 67,000 Kenyans are working in Qatar. With this new agreement, the number is anticipated to rise significantly, possibly reaching over 200,000, unlocking a wave of employment opportunities for Kenyan professionals in Qatar’s key development sectors.

He also added that the agreement will give Kenyans an opportunity to gain valuable experience while allaying fears over the instances where Kenyans working had been unfairly targeted and injured.

On his part, Qatari’s Labour Minister Saeed Samikh Al-Marri echoed Mutua's sentiments and highlighted that the bilateral agreement with Kenya will focus on the aforementioned key areas that include Gas among other sectors in the country.

''As we have agreed we are going to be focused on national development strategy in fields such as ICT, education, media, oil and gas with the new agreement. We can work together to increase Kenya’s labour community and as per our discussions today, we will focus on the highest skills because that is very important for our relations,’’ Samikh stated.

Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua(second right) and his Qatar counterpart Saeed Samikh Al-Marri (right) with Principal Secretaries Shadrack Mwadime (Labour) and Joseph Motari (Social Protection) at Kenyatta International Conference Centre in Nairobi on October 6, 2024. /ALFRED MUTUA