The Kenyan government has announced the successful ongoing negotiation of 19 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with countries in the Gulf region, for purposes of creating jobs for Kenyans.

Speaking when he appeared before the Senate on Wednesday July 10, 2024, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi revealed that some of the agreements have reached advanced stages, while others are still in progress.

Mudavadi highlighted the government’s efforts to secure jobs for Kenyans in the Gulf countries, stating, “We are quite advanced with Qatar, United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia, and we have a rescue centre in Saudi Arabia.”

He further added that the government is actively seeking resources to establish rescue centres in the Gulf region to support Kenyan workers.

When questioned about the timeline for the completion of the negotiations, Mudavadi explained that since the agreements are bilateral, they are at various stages.

He mentioned that Kenya is aiming to secure a slot for close to 200,000 job openings in diverse fields to enable Kenyans to work in the Gulf countries.

As the negotiations progress, Mudavadi assured that the relevant authorities will be made known upon the conclusion of the MoUs.

Interestingly, Mudavadi revealed that the job opportunities are not limited to labourers, as the government is working on a skills policy to include professionals such as doctors and teachers in the arrangement.

He emphasized the government’s commitment to ensuring that Kenyans from various backgrounds can benefit from these opportunities.

“This is not just in the Gulf area. In Germany, we are likely to conclude by September,” he said.

Regarding the UAE, Mudavadi stated, “In the case of the UAE, we have more or less concluded (ACEPA) -A Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement- and part of the issues that we are alluding also now embedded in that agreement.”