NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 22 — Kenya is exploring collaboration with the midwestern State of Nebraska in a bid to foster skilled labour mobility to facilitate job opportunities for youth abroad.
Officials from Kenya and the Nebraska State explored a partnership framework during talks held in Nairobi on Wednesday.
The talks brought together officials from Kenya’s State Department of Diaspora Affairs and a delegation from Nebraska led by Head of International Relations (Secretary of State) Robert Evnen.
Diaspora Principal Secretary Roseline Njogu disclosed that the initiative falls within the mandate of the State Department for Diaspora Affairs to secure job placements for Kenyans overseas.
“The [initiative]also aligns with the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) goal of empowering Kenyans to share their knowledge and skills globally,” she said.
The State Department highlighted Nebraska’s interest in engaging Kenyans across various sectors, including healthcare, skilled trades such as carpentry, masonry, welding, plumbing, mechanics, and Heat Ventilation & Air Conditioning (HVAC).
Kenya’s team was led by Boniface Munzala, Director of Savings, Investments, and Remittance, and Irene Karari, the Acting Director, Skills and Expertise.
Laban Njuguna, CEO of Zabuni Specialty Coffee, was among the attendees at the meeting, along with Todd Vettel, President of International Workforce Service, Deen Alberts, Director of Operations at Grand Island Express, Phillipe Bruce of GLASS, and Karine Sokpoh, Lawyer and CEO of Midlands African Chamber Omaha.
Addressing unemployment
President William Ruto’s administration has been pushing Kenyans to take up jobs abroad as one of the strategies to alleviate the country’s unemployment crisis.
On February 19, President Ruto urged lawmakers to actively identify unemployed youth in their constituencies for negotiated job opportunities in foreign countries.
Speaking at the Kenya Kwanza Parliamentary Group meeting in Naivasha the President emphasized that his overseas trips have yielded job opportunities through bilateral talks and challenged MPs to facilitate the placement of qualified unemployed youth.
“I want you to focus your energy where it matters, as people’s representatives. Let’s connect our youth to these opportunities,” President Ruto urged the MPs.
He disclosed that the government is finalizing a bilateral framework to secure 250,000 jobs in Germany and emphasized the need to seize such opportunities without excuses.
The government had previously pledged to send 3,000 to 5,000 Kenyans abroad weekly to address unemployment.