Former Chief Justice David Maraga has vowed to terminate Kenya’s labour export programme if elected President, calling it “modern-day slavery.” His statement, released Thursday, November 20, came in response to the government’s announcement of lucrative jobs in Qatar for Kenyan workers.
Maraga argued that instead of sending Kenyans abroad, the government should focus on creating employment opportunities at home. “Our beloved Africa still lives with the unspoken wounds of losing her children to enslavement centuries ago. The depletion of Africa’s best talent is repeating itself in 21st-century Kenya, only this time under the guise of helping young people earn a living abroad,” he said.
He emphasized that a government’s duty is to protect its people, terming labour export as contrary to elected leadership. “It is against the very nature of governance to trade off our people as labour to foreign lands instead of expanding opportunities at home and ending corruption that bleeds our economy,” Maraga added.
The comments follow a New York Times report exposing abuse and mistreatment of Kenyan workers in Gulf nations. The article alleged that some government-affiliated recruitment agencies profit from sending workers abroad, earning approximately $1,000 (Ksh129,950) per worker.
Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua dismissed the claims, stating that Kenyan workers abroad earn good money. He highlighted 100 diploma-level nurses set to work in home care in Qatar with salaries reaching Ksh200,000. Mutua also revealed plans to place between 100,000 and 250,000 Kenyans in legal and safe overseas jobs next year.
President William Ruto previously announced that 13,000 new jobs in Qatar had been secured for Kenyans following talks with Qatar’s Labour Minister Ali bin Saeed bin Samikh Al Marri. Ruto said the programme would allow Kenyan workers to gain global experience and skills, which they could bring back to contribute to Kenya’s development.
While the government emphasizes economic opportunity, Maraga insists that the focus should be on creating meaningful jobs within Kenya and ending exploitation under the guise of foreign employment.
