3,247 Kenyans secure Qatar jobs

CHRIS MAHANDARA- KNA 

Labour Cabinet Secretary (CS) Alfred Mutua has announced a nationwide overseas job recruitment drive to support Kenyans interested in securing employment abroad. 

The exercise, which kicks off on Wednesday (tomorrow) in Machakos County, targets all 47 counties following the recent successful recruitment of 3,247 Kenyans by a Qatar firm. 

Dr. Mutua stated that the nationwide recruitment drive was prompted by the challenges many Kenyans faced traveling to interviews conducted at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) and Kabete National Polytechnic. country. 

"It is unfair to have people travel thousands of kilometers, with some spending the night at the recruitment venues. Instead of them going through this, we are taking the jobs to them in all 47 counties,” he said. 

The Qatar company, which initially sought to recruit 8,000 people, has returned to recruit an additional 5,000 Kenyans for the remaining slots. 

Dr. Mutua urged Kenyans to take advantage of this opportunity and show up at recruitment venues in county headquarters nationwide. He added that job offers have also been made by Germany, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Austria, the Czech Republic, and (UAE). 

Details of these jobs and their specifications will be posted on the Ministry’s website and other government portals. The opportunities, he said, would be distributed on a quota basis to ensure each county gets its fair share. 

The county recruitment drives will be conducted at Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) centers in county headquarters. This will allow applicants to be tested for the requisite skills as outlined in the job specifications. 

Dr. Mutua explained that Ministry of Labour officials leading the exercise will be accompanied by registered recruitment agencies and officers from other relevant govern ment agencies, including the National Police Ser vice (NPS) and the Immigration Department. 

This collaboration aims to fast-track the issuance of certificates of good con duct and passports for successful candidates.

The county-to-county exercise, which targets to secure jobs for at least one million Kenyans, will be conducted in a free and transparent manner, providing equal opportunities for all qualified and skilled Kenyans. 

Addressing the media in Kisumu after attending a Parliamentary Departmental Committee on Labour meeting, Dr. Mutua urged Kenyans seeking jobs abroad to prepare by ensuring their documents are in order. 

“During the recent recruitment drive, some applicants missed the opportunity because their documents were not in order. Others, due to fatigue and hunger, were unable to perform well.

Therefore, you must prepare by applying for the certificate of good conduct on the e-Citizen portal so that when the exercise reaches your county, you are ready,” he said.