Makueni, Machakos & Kitui Lead National Push for Overseas Employment as MPs Summon Labour CS Mutua
Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary Dr Alfred Mutua is under scrutiny by Members of Parliament amid a nationwide recruitment drive that has seen Makueni, Machakos and Kitui at the forefront of jobseekers securing overseas employment.
Recruitment Drive Gains Momentum
Launched in November 2024, the programme aims to place over 20,000 skilled and semi‑skilled Kenyans into various overseas roles—from housekeepers and drivers to nurses, engineers, and security personnel—with salary packages reportedly ranging from KSh 40,000 to KSh 1 million monthly.
By late November, 5,931 Kenyans had secured job offers, broken down as follows:
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Machakos: 752
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Kitui: 901
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Makueni: 410
MPs Demand Accountability
Parliamentary committees are now summoning CS Mutua to explain the selection process, address delays in travel documentation—passports and certificates of good conduct—and tackle complaints over high agency fees.
Administrative Bottlenecks
The programme has faced several pauses:
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A mid-drive temporary suspension in November to sort travel documents and streamline logistics.
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A winter suspension in February 2025, with only limited placements continuing in Kisumu
This has fueled concerns about coordination across county recruitment centres and timely processing.
Focus on TVET Counties
The choice of Makueni, Machakos, and Kitui as initial recruitment hubs stems from their strong technical and vocational institutions. TVET Principal Secretary Esther Muoria emphasized the importance of showcasing technical skills—like plumbing, machinery, and electrical work—during practical assessments held at county headquarters and TVET centres.
Public Feedback & Criticisms
While the push has been widely welcomed, some youth voices on platforms like Reddit express skepticism:
“They only offered them jobs in Qatar and Saudi Arabia and asked for processing fees of 120,000.”
Concerns linger about the high fees applicants are charged before deployment, and whether the promised wide array of international job destinations is genuinely being fulfilled.
In Summary:
The government’s overseas jobs initiative, led by Labour CS Mutua, has mobilized thousands of young Kenyans—especially in Makueni, Machakos, and Kitui—to pursue work abroad. Yet, operational delays, funding issues, and political scrutiny are prompting MPs to demand answers, raising important questions about transparency, logistics, and fairness in execution.
