Kenyans Will Leave In Their Thousands- Ruto On Raila Criticism Over Creating Jobs Abroad
The Head of State defended his move to sign bilateral deals with other countries that will facilitate Kenyans departing their own country to work abroad
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President William Ruto on Sunday, December 10 predicted that thousands of Kenyans will leave the country to work abroad, denouncing criticism by Azimio la Umoja leader, Raila Odinga who slammed him for pushing for Kenyans to seek greener pastures in other countries.
Speaking during a church service in Kimende, Kiambu County, the Head of State defended his move to sign bilateral deals with other countries that will facilitate Kenyans departing their own country to work abroad and earn a source of income to better their lives as well as cut down on the rising levels of unemployment in the country.
"There are some who will stay here in Rukuma and get jobs through the housing project, others will work in the ICT hub and others will board planes and go work outside the nation because we agreed that kazi ni kazi.
"I saw just the other day the opposition leader complaining, stating that so many Kenyans are being taken abroad to work. What was he expecting for them to remain in Kenya? He's complained too early...Kenyans will leave this country and work at jobs abroad in their thousands," he stated.
President Ruto defends move to export Kenyan casual labourers to work abroad in Israel and other countries#ViralVideos pic.twitter.com/GaLWBsHW4s — Viral Tea Ke (@ViralTeaKe) December 10, 2023
He revisited the deal the Kenyan government inked with Israel that will see Kenya send 1,500 farm workers to Israel on a three-year contract, despite an ongoing conflict with Hamas which has left about 16,000 people dead since October 7, 2023.
The Kenyan government revealed that the opportunities number about 1,500 with a guaranteed net income of 1,500 USD per month, translating to Ksh230,025, with Ruto revealing that the country would send Kenyans to Israel in phases between December this year and January 2024.
Additionally, thousands of Kenyans would also move to Germany, the United States and Saudi Arabia following successful labour agreements.
The President also indicated that the casual labourers deployed to work abroad would be influential in stabilising the depreciating Kenyan Shilling, noting that the dollar remittances by Kenyans in the diaspora would help in recovering Kenya's economy from the current slump.
"Those who are going abroad will help us to bring dollars so that the exchange rate can stop disturbing us," he went on.
“We want to ensure every Kenyan has a source of livelihood."
Odinga, who spoke on Friday, December 8 at the Catholic University while delivering a lecture dubbed ‘A Vision for the Next 60 Years and Beyond’, said the Kenya Kwanza government had shown that it has failed to create jobs for Kenyans in their own country.
He termed it ironic that the government was talking with pride and gusto about securing jobs in other countries, for instance, farm jobs in Israel, when they have a responsibility to create better jobs for them, especially after graduating from university.
“Our children are struggling to get farm jobs in Israel, to be house helps in Saudi Arabia and security personnel in Qatar. Government officers, including a whole president, openly say that they are trying to get jobs abroad for Kenyans,” he criticised.
“Young people with the new skills and knowledge we need are being exported because the government cannot create jobs. And the government sees it as an achievement.”
According to the former Prime Minister, the current government had succeeded in making the country unbearable for its citizens and was responding to their demands to seek greener pastures elsewhere on Earth by creating job opportunities abroad.
He recounted the golden age when Kenyans would not even dare think about leaving their home country for opportunities abroad, even with the United Nations (UN), which is not the case right now.
“Today, our people are scrambling to leave the country. A recent study by Pew Research showed that up to 54 per cent of Kenyans would wish to relocate from the country," he disclosed.
