Defence Committee Insects Diaspora State Department HQ Confirm 400,000 Kenyans Hired Abroad

Members of the National Assembly Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations have called for better coordination and safeguards in labour mobility programmes during an inspection visit to the State Department for Diaspora Affairs (SDDA).

The Committee, chaired by Hon Nelson Koech, met with Principal Secretary for Diaspora Affairs, Ms. Roslyne Njogu, to assess the department’s performance, ongoing initiatives and gaps in diaspora engagement. 

The visit comes against a backdrop of growing diaspora remittances, which hit USD 4.95 billion in 2024, and the government’s drive to harness labour migration as a strategy to reduce unemployment.

Hon. Koech commended the Department’s achievements but raised questions about the clarity of roles between the newly established Diaspora Placement Agency and the Ministry of Labour.

“We recognize the work you do. But what is the correlation between the Diaspora Placement Agency and the Ministry of Labour?” he posed.

The Diaspora Placement Agency, established under Executive Order No. 1 of 2025 is tasked with managing labour mobility and connecting Kenya’s workforce to global opportunities. According to the PS, the agency has facilitated 400,000 Kenyans to secure jobs abroad as of June 2025.

The PS noted that in the last two years, the Department had led five bilateral labour agreements, adding that while certain roles are shared with the Ministry of Labour, others are distinct.

Hon. Abdulkadir Mohammed challenged the Department to disaggregate the data for transparency. “You say you’ve facilitated 400,000 Kenyans, but what are the statistics per county? Why can’t you put faces to these numbers, Where are the details pee county?”

Members also raised concern over rogue employment agencies and increasing cases of misinformation targeting job seekers.

Hon. Martha Wangari called for policy reforms. She asked, “What are the policy and legislative gaps in dealing with rogue agencies? We need to deal firmly with those spreading misinformation to our people.”

In response, Ms. Njogu said the Department is working closely with National Government Administrative Officers (NGAOs) to sensitize job seekers at grassroots levels and protect them from fraudulent recruiters.

“We have about 10 million Kenyans that are jobless. The 400,000 is just a drop in the bucket. But we are committed to changing the narrative of the Kazi Majuu programme and are working with NGAOs to educate Kenyans on their rights,” she said.

She also revealed that the Department is developing a Diaspora Distress Repatriation Programme and has already evacuated 5,232 Kenyans from 19 countries in distress situations.

The Committee learnt that the State Department is also pursuing a target to lower the cost of remittances to below 3%, in line with international benchmarks, and developing a framework for diaspora philanthropic engagement.

Committee Vice Chair, Hon. Bashir Abdullahi emphasized that the Department must look beyond job placements. “Beyond getting people jobs abroad, you should boost investor confidence and bring diaspora remittances home to create jobs locally.”

“We’ve held webinars to educate the diaspora on investing in the Nairobi Stock Exchange and Treasury bonds, as we prepare to roll out the Diaspora Infrastructure Bond,” Ms. Njogu added.

The State Department clarified that under Executive Order No. 1 of 2025, its role in labour mobility had been formally defined. Two State Agencies have been established that is the Diaspora Investments Support Office, a one-stop hub promoting direct investments and addressing the trust deficit, and the Diaspora Placement Agency, which supports Kenyan workers abroad and promotes decent employment opportunities.

The PS Njogu committed to providing a county-by-county breakdown of the migrant workers. The Department further confirmed that it had facilitated a team of 26 nurses to the USA the previous day and revealed ongoing plans to establish diaspora centres, starting with a proposed facility in Australia, where land has been allocated.

The Committee pledged to ensure sufficient budgetary allocation and legislative support to address policy gaps to facilitate the State Department on Diaspora.