The government has cautioned youths against fraudulent recruitment agencies taking advantage of Kenyan youth seeking jobs abroad.
Principal Secretary for Diaspora Affairs Roseline Njogu urged job seekers to have valid passports, acquire relevant skills and work only with licensed recruitment agencies to avoid being conned or encountering problems while abroad.
She said legitimate agencies should be transparent about the recruitment process and warned applicants to be suspicious of anyone demanding bribes or using intimidation during recruitment.
Njogu was speaking at Kinoru Stadium in Meru during the second edition of the Kazi Majuu football tournament, which brought together 64 teams from North Imenti.
Each of the team was issued with football kits and balls.
She said the tournament provided an opportunity for the government to engage young people on employment opportunities under its three-pronged strategy of Kazi kwa Ground, Kazi kwa Mtandao and Kazi Majuu.
“We are taking this opportunity to play football with young people while having conversations around the government’s interventions on unemployment. We are sensitising them on how to access these opportunities and on safe labour mobility,” she said.
Njogu said the government had facilitated about 583,000 Kenyans to take up opportunities in the diaspora over the past three and a half years, adding that TVET institutions were increasingly important in preparing young people for the international labour market.
She encouraged young people to acquire technical skills, saying global employers were increasingly looking for workers with practical competencies.
Her message was reinforced by beneficiaries who said the Kazi Majuu programme had opened genuine employment opportunities for Kenyan youth.
Elizabeth Wanjiru, who spent four months working in the United Kingdom after securing an opportunity through the programme, urged young people to enrol in TVET institutions and acquire skills.
Wanjiru said she learnt about the opportunity while studying at Meru National Polytechnic, attended the recruitment interviews and secured her passport after successfully completing the selection process.
“Kazi Majuu is real. I was in the UK for four months and was able to make good money. I encourage fellow young people to join TVET and acquire a skill because the opportunities are there,” she said.
Another beneficiary, Shadrack Wanyonyi, said he initially thought the programme was too good to be true until he benefited from it.
“I thought it was just a joke, but I have realised that it is real. Young people should take advantage of these opportunities and pursue courses that give them skills,” Wanyonyi said.
Njogu said universities and TVET institutions had complementary roles in preparing young people for employment, noting that the international labour market had a growing demand for skilled professionals.
She also said the government was strengthening protection of Kenyans working abroad, including intervening in cases involving children and other vulnerable citizens.
Njogu cited the recent repatriation of a Kenyan child, Precious, saying the government had also facilitated the return of eight children who had been left abroad over the past three years.
She urged job seekers to confirm the legitimacy of recruitment agencies before accepting overseas employment, saying having the right skills and documentation was equally important.
“Do not be desperate to the extent of trusting anyone who promises you a job abroad. Confirm the agency, understand the process and ensure you have the necessary documents before travelling,” Njogu said.
