The National Assembly Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations has confirmed that 400,000 Kenyans have secured employment abroad through government-facilitated labour migration initiatives. This was revealed during an oversight visit to the State Department for Diaspora Affairs (SDDA), where committee members met with Principal Secretary Roslyne Njogu to assess the department’s performance and challenges.
The Committee, chaired by Belgut MP Nelson Koech, commended the Department’s efforts but raised concerns over coordination between the newly established Diaspora Placement Agency and the Ministry of Labour. “We recognize your achievements, but what is the correlation between the two bodies?” Koech questioned.
The Diaspora Placement Agency was established under Executive Order No. 1 of 2025 to streamline labour mobility and connect Kenyans to global job markets. The SDDA has facilitated five bilateral labour agreements and is actively working to expand opportunities for Kenyan professionals abroad.
However, legislators called for transparency and stronger regulation. MP Abdulkadir Mohammed challenged the Department to provide a detailed county-by-county breakdown of the 400,000 job placements. Meanwhile, Gilgil MP Martha Wangari called for policy reforms to address the proliferation of rogue employment agencies and misinformation targeting job seekers.
In response, PS Njogu said the Department is working with National Government Administrative Officers (NGAOs) to educate citizens at the grassroots level and protect them from fraudulent recruiters. She also revealed that 5,232 Kenyans had been evacuated from 19 countries through a new Diaspora Distress Repatriation Programme.
The Department is also pursuing a framework to reduce the cost of remittances to below 3% and foster diaspora investment through instruments like the upcoming Diaspora Infrastructure Bond. A new Diaspora Investments Support Office has been launched to support direct investments and build trust.
Committee Vice Chair Bashir Abdullahi urged the Department to focus on long-term impact, saying, “Beyond getting people jobs abroad, you should bring diaspora remittances home to create jobs locally.”
PS Njogu committed to publishing disaggregated data and confirmed plans to open diaspora centres, starting with a facility in Australia.
The Committee pledged budgetary and legislative support to strengthen diaspora engagement and labour migration programs.
