NAIROBI, Kenya (BN24) — President William Ruto announced Tuesday that his administration has successfully facilitated the deployment of more than 400,000 young Kenyans to work abroad through the government’s overseas employment program, while urging religious leaders to encourage greater participation in international job opportunities.
Speaking during a meeting with over 600 leaders from the African Independent Pentecostal Church of Africa at State House in Nairobi, Ruto emphasized the success of the Kazi Majuu program and challenged church leaders to promote the initiative among their congregations.
“400,000 young people have gone to work outside Kenya,” President Ruto stated, highlighting what he described as the substantial scale of his government’s efforts in securing overseas employment opportunities for Kenyan youth facing domestic unemployment challenges.
The President specifically addressed church leaders and parents, expressing his desire for youth from AIPCA to benefit from international job opportunities. He outlined the financial advantages of overseas employment, emphasizing the earning potential for program participants.
“You go to work and get paid a salary of Ksh.100,000…Ksh.200,000…Is that little money?” Ruto posed to the assembled religious leaders, referencing monthly salaries equivalent to approximately $770 to $1,540 in U.S. dollars.
President Ruto challenged Kenyans to adopt what he termed a more pragmatic approach to job seeking, advising that people should not be selective about work locations when employment opportunities are available, including construction work and other manual labor positions.
The Head of State concluded his remarks with a call for attitudinal change, urging Kenyans to move away from what he characterized as a culture of complaints toward actively participating in available solutions to unemployment.
“Let us look for opportunities, instead of being people who complain, let us be part of the solution,” Ruto stated during the Tuesday gathering.
The Kazi Majuu program, launched June 30, 2023, represents a cornerstone of the Kenya Kwanza administration’s youth employment initiatives and continues to serve as the government’s primary strategy for addressing unemployment among young Kenyans through international labor mobility partnerships.
Former Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Dr. Alfred Mutua, who announced the program’s launch, described it as a platform designed to empower Kenyan citizens to explore global job opportunities by providing direct access to international employment listings.
“Kenyans can go online and look for job opportunities all over the world. We will be posting a lot of opportunities from different countries. You go in there and you will find a section where you will put in your details to agents who are recruiting people from different parts of the world or even from this country,” Mutua explained during the program’s initial announcement.
The overseas employment initiative addresses Kenya’s persistent youth unemployment challenges by creating formal pathways for international labor migration. The program operates through online platforms where Kenyan job seekers can access listings from various countries and connect with recruiting agents worldwide.
President Ruto’s emphasis on the program’s success comes as his administration faces ongoing pressure to address domestic unemployment rates, particularly among young Kenyans who constitute a significant portion of the country’s population. The overseas employment strategy represents a shift toward international labor mobility as a solution to domestic economic challenges.
The President’s appeal to religious leaders reflects the government’s recognition of churches’ influence in Kenyan communities and their potential role in promoting participation in overseas employment opportunities. By engaging with AIPCA leadership, the administration seeks to leverage religious networks to expand program awareness and participation.
The Kazi Majuu program’s reported success in deploying 400,000 Kenyans abroad indicates the scale of international labor demand and Kenya’s capacity to meet global employment needs through structured migration programs.
