By Kepher Otieno - Reporter
Kenya, 8 January 2026 - The government has moved to reclaim control of Kenya’s fast-growing labour export market, announcing sweeping measures designed to protect migrant workers and shut out rogue recruitment networks that have thrived on desperation and weak oversight.
Speaking during the launch of the Nyota Programme at Eldoret Sports Club, President William Ruto said the State has now put in place a structured system to guide Kenyans seeking jobs abroad, signalling a shift from ad hoc migration to a regulated, State-supervised pathway.
“We now have a proper mechanism that will guide Kenyans on safe labour migration,” President Ruto said, adding that the government will only engage countries with fair labour practices. “We want to make sure our people are not mistreated and that when they go to work abroad, their dignity is protected.”
At the centre of the new push is Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua, whose consistent advocacy for organised labour migration has increasingly defined the government’s jobs agenda.
Mutua has repeatedly argued that exporting labour must be treated as an economic sector—one governed by strict rules, bilateral agreements and worker welfare safeguards.
“This programme must flourish because it is about protecting Kenyans, not just exporting labour,” Mutua has said in previous engagements, insisting that migration should be “safe, dignified and beneficial to both the worker and the country.”
Under the new framework, the government will actively track the welfare of Kenyans working abroad, establish clear communication channels, and intervene where abuse or exploitation is reported.
This marks a departure from past approaches where workers were largely left at the mercy of foreign employers and recruitment agents once they exited the country.
President Ruto also announced a bold incentive aimed at breaking a major barrier for job seekers: travel costs.
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The government, he said, will facilitate transport for Kenyans who secure overseas jobs but lack airfare, with the expenses recoverable after employment begins. The move is designed to prevent qualified candidates from falling prey to loan sharks or fake agents promising “facilitated travel.”
The reforms come against a backdrop of growing public outrage over reports of Kenyan workers being mistreated abroad and millions of shillings lost to fraudulent recruitment agencies.
In centralising recruitment pathways and tying them to government-to-government agreements, the State hopes to choke off the shadowy middlemen who have long exploited regulatory gaps.
For Mutua, the project is also about restoring trust. He has consistently warned that unless migration is cleaned up, Kenya risks turning a jobs solution into a national scandal. His ministry has pushed for stricter licensing of agencies, tougher penalties for fraud, and stronger pre-departure training for workers.
Beyond labour migration, President Ruto used the Eldoret platform to issue a political warning, urging leaders to stop politicising education and other sensitive sectors. He cautioned against the spread of hate and tribalism, arguing that such narratives undermine national cohesion.
“Politics should be agenda-based, not tribal,” the President said, calling on leaders to articulate clear development plans instead of fueling division.
Taken together, the announcements reflect a government attempting to marry economic necessity with social responsibility. With unemployment still biting and overseas jobs increasingly viewed as a pressure valve, the success of the new labour migration measures will depend on enforcement, transparency and sustained political will.
If Mutua’s vision of a tightly regulated, worker-first migration system takes root, Kenya could turn labour export into a credible pillar of economic growth—one that delivers jobs without sacrificing the safety and dignity of its citizens.
