Individuals planning to run a travel agency in Kenya will be required to pay Kes500,000 for a two year permit in new measures by the government aimed at chocking bogus establishments in the sector. According to Labour CS Alfred Mutua, the renewal of their licenses will be extended to two years upon the payment of the KES500,000 fee.

“These reforms are the result of extensive consultations with key stakeholders, both locally and internationally. They are designed to enhance the efficiency and integrity of our labour migration system.” CS Mutua stated.

The CS revealed an ambitious plan to  facilitate the deployment of between 5,000 to 10,000 Kenyans to work abroad every week.

Also envisaged in the reforms are changes in the pre-departure training and orientation program for overseas bound workers. For instance, homecare management training will now be integrated with the  pre-departure training and cut the training period from 26 days to 14 days. 

However, domestic workers who had previously completed their contracts in the Gulf countries would be exempted from the training requirements. "For other migrant workers, pre-departure training will now be reduced to two days, making the process more efficient," Mutua stated.

"The assessment system for these programs will be evaluated on a 100-point scale, with 65 per cent for practicals by the National Industrial Training Authority (NITA), 25 per cent for continuous assessment, and 10 per cent for pre-departure theory, with a pass mark of 60 per cent," he added.

This announcement comes a day after the CS appeared before the Senate on September 18. "Why can't the Labour and Social Protection CS Dr. Alfred Mutua provide a list of the recruitment agencies cleared to operate by the National Employment Authority to this House? No wonder Kenyans are being conned every day," Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei stated during the proceedings.

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The Labour CS has since advised Kenyans to always undertake research on recruitment agencies and opportunities, to steer clear of unscrupulous agents. "Kenyans who are applying for jobs abroad, you research the job, from wherever you are."

"Be very careful about recruitment agencies that come to your villages and tell you they are recruiting you, and that you need to pay them money,” CS said.

In August, the Ministry of Labour flagged 16 recruitment agencies after over 300 people from Eldoret City lost millions while applying for scholarships in Finland and Canada.

Labour PS Shadrack Mwadime said that the Ministry flagged the unethical agencies after carrying out investigations in collaboration with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI). An estimated Ksh1.1 billion was raised from unsuspecting Kenyans in this scam. 

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