Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua has announced a new registration system for employment agencies as part of labour immigration reforms.
In a statement on Thursday, September 19, Mutua disclosed that under the new framework, newly registered agencies will receive an initial certificate valid for one year, costing Ksh500,000.
For existing agencies, the renewal period will be extended to two years, with a renewal fee of Ksh500,000 for the full period or Ksh250,000 for a one-year renewal option.
The CS declared that the new changes will take effect on September 23, 2024.
"These changes, which take effect on September 23, will streamline the licensing process and ensure that agencies are fully compliant with the law. The National Employment Authority (NEA) has now staffed its compliance section to enforce these new regulations," Mutua remarked.
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He added that the government was committed to dealing with rogue agencies and was working with banks to offer funding to agencies.
"We are also committed to addressing the issue of rogue agencies, with several currently under investigation by the DCI. In addition, we are working with banks to offer financing to agencies so they no longer need to burden job seekers."
At the same time, the CS announced the introduction of reforms to the pre-departure training and orientation programs.
"Homecare management training will now be integrated with pre-departure training, reducing the total training period from 26 days to 14 days. For other skilled migrant workers, pre-departure training will now be reduced to 2 days, making the process more efficient," Mutua explained.
He noted that the assessment system for the programs will be evaluated on a 100-point scale with the pass mark set at 60 percent.
"The assessment system for these programs will be evaluated on a 100-point scale, with 65% for practicals by the National Industrial Training Authority (NITA), 25% for continuous assessment, and 10% for pre-departure theory, with a pass mark of 60%. The revised guidelines will be distributed by NITA to all trainers by November 1," Mutua added.
However, the CS maintained that domestic workers who have previously completed contracts in the Gulf will be exempt from the training requirements.
Additionally, Mutua declared that the government was developing a model house in Mombasa to ensure domestic workers are well-prepared for employment.
"We are also developing a model house in Mombasa and later Nairobi that replicates an Arabic home, ensuring our domestic workers are well-prepared for employment in countries like Saudi Arabia etc. The cost ceiling for homecare and pre-departure training will be capped at Ksh14,000, keeping training affordable for all," Mutua stated.
The CS affirmed that the reforms are expected to facilitate the deployment of between 5,000 and 10,000 Kenyans to jobs abroad each week.
