Patmoz
By Njeri wa Irunguh | Nairobi, Kenya – Tuesday, July 15, 2025
The Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, Mr. Shadrack Mwadime, has announced intensified efforts by the government to protect Kenyan youth from exploitation by rogue recruitment agencies while promoting safe and structured labour mobility abroad.
Speaking during a recent media engagement, PS Mwadime highlighted the Ministry’s collaboration with the national government administration officers—chiefs, assistant chiefs, and wasios—to sensitize communities at the grassroots level about legitimate employment opportunities abroad.
“We are conducting as many awareness meetings as possible in the villages. Chiefs and assistant chiefs are a critical part of our dissemination strategy,” said Mwadime.
The Ministry is also leveraging the National Employment Authority (NEA), which deployed 100 youth officers last year to support awareness efforts across the country. These officers work hand-in-hand with local administrators, especially during public gatherings such as barazas, to educate the public about safe job application processes and how to identify genuine recruitment channels.
A significant concern, the PS noted, is the rising threat posed by unregistered and unscrupulous recruitment agencies that prey on uninformed youth seeking opportunities abroad.
“Many young Kenyans fall victim to rogue travel and recruitment agencies due to lack of proper information. We are addressing this by directing them to the NEA’s Integrated Management System, where all licensed agencies are listed,” he explained.
Mwadime noted that genuine agencies are marked in green on the platform, while those under scrutiny or flagged are marked differently, offering a clear guide to prospective job seekers. In addition, agencies with approved foreign job offers are legally required to upload these opportunities to the NEA portal for public access.
Responding to concerns that the government’s push for overseas job placements could result in a long-term brain drain, PS Mwadime dismissed the notion as outdated, calling instead for a perspective shift toward brain gain.
“Brain drain is a theory. The flip side is brain gain. Look at countries like South Korea and Singapore—three decades ago, they sent their youth abroad. Those workers returned with know-how and savings, which contributed immensely to their technological and economic rise,” he said.
According to the PS, Kenya’s labour mobility strategy encourages short-term contracts of between three to five years, allowing workers to acquire international experience and return home equipped to invest and contribute to the national economy.
Mwadime cited diaspora remittances as a testament to Kenyan patriotism and economic potential. “Last year alone, Kenyans abroad remitted close to $4.95 billion—approximately KSh600 billion. That’s only about 5% of their savings. If we build trust and offer solid investment options back home, we could be talking about a trillion shillings—nearly a quarter of our national budget,” he added.
The Ministry of Labour continues to encourage Kenyan youth to take advantage of structured international job opportunities while emphasizing the importance of returning home to invest acquired skills and capital for national development.
Shadrack Nyakoe
