Govt To Build Model Homes To Prepare Kenyans For Saudi Arabia Jobs

The government, through the Ministry of Labour, announced on Thursday, September 19 that it will construct model houses in the country to prepare Kenyans for the realities that come with working abroad in countries such as Saudi Arabia.

In a statement, Labour Cabinet Secretary (CS) Alfred Mutua announced that the model homes will be domiciled in Mombasa and Nairobi and will resemble those found in the Middle East countries.

"We are developing a model house in Mombasa and later Nairobi that replicates an Arabic home, ensuring our domestic workers are well-prepared for employment in countries like Saudi Arabia etc," stated Mutua.

The CS announced this among several reforms in the recruitment and deployment process for Kenyans seeking employment abroad, particularly in the Arabian nations.

Photo of an Arabian-styled house. /KALEELA

Among them include setting the cost of homecare and pre-departure training at Ksh14,000 as the ceiling cost, which aims to provide the training to Kenyans at an affordable cost.

The cost ceiling for homecare and pre-departure training will be capped at Ksh 14,000, keeping training affordable for all.

Other reforms set to be introduced to the pre-departure training and orientation programs include homecare management training which will now be integrated with pre-departure training, reducing the total training period from 26 days to 14 days.

"For other skilled migrant workers, pre-departure training will now be reduced to 2 days, making the process more efficient," added the CS.

"The assessment system for these programs will be evaluated on a 100-point scale, with 65% for practicals by the National Industrial Training Authority (NITA), 25% for continuous assessment, and 10% for pre-departure theory, with a pass mark of 60%. The revised guidelines will be distributed by NITA to all trainers by November 1."

Additionally, domestic workers who have previously completed contracts in the Gulf will be exempt from these training requirements, helping them return to work more quickly. 

On employment agencies, a new registration system is set to be rolled out which will compel Kenyans seeking to register their agencies for one year to pay a fee of Ksh500,000.

Additionally, the renewal period for existing agencies will now be extended to two years, priced at Ksh 500,000 for the full two-year period or Ksh 250,000 for one year with the option for renewal.

"These changes, which take effect on September 23, will streamline the licensing process and ensure that agencies are fully compliant with the law. The National Employment Authority (NEA) has now staffed its compliance section to enforce these new regulations," he continued.

The reforms are aimed at streamlining the recruitment and deployment process for Kenyans seeking employment abroad and are the result of extensive consultations with key stakeholders, both locally and internationally. Furthermore, they are designed to enhance the efficiency and integrity of Kenya's labour migration system.

These reforms are expected to facilitate the deployment of between 5,000 to 10,000 Kenyans to work abroad each week, aligning with our government’s ambition to expand labour mobility.

"We are also committed to addressing the issue of rogue agencies, with several currently under investigation by the DCI. In addition, we are working with banks to offer financing to agencies so they no longer need to burden job seekers," CS Mutua added.

This comes on the back of grim statistics released by Mutua's Foreign Affairs and Prime counterpart, Musalia Mudavadi, showing that across the Gulf States, 316 Kenyans have lost their lives over the past 12 years, revealing the daunting challenges that come with seeking employment opportunities abroad, especially in nations such as Saudi Arabia.

The country, a top destination for Kenyans working in the Gulf, recorded 166 deaths, the most out of the nations within the region.