Draft policy tightens law on jobs in the Middle East

Eunice Wanjiku's parents, Chege Kahiga and Grace Gathoni, with her photograph. Ms Wanjiku died in Saudi Arabia under mysterious circumstances and her body remained there for three years. More than 30 Kenyans from Nakuru County are stranded and starving in a transitional detention camp in Saudi Arabia. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP 

In Summary

• Kenya will also enter bilateral agreements with the countries where these workers are employed to secure better working conditions for them.
• The number of recruitment firms have increased from 50 in 2006 to 1,000, with most of them lacking physical address.

By NATION CORRESPONDENT
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Domestic and other low-cadre workers taking up positions in foreign countries will be registered by the government and their agreements with employers deposited as a way of eliminating labour related woes, particularly in the Middle East.

A draft policy is being prepared to tighten the law on immigrant labour that will also see more stringent regulation on registration and operation of the recruitment firms in the country to curb exploitation of the workers.

Kenya will also enter bilateral agreements with the countries where these workers are employed to secure better working conditions for them.

Speaking during the Kenya Diaspora Easter Investment Conference, the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Services, Mr Ali Ismail, said the government planned to have short, medium and long-term measures meant to improve the conditions of workers abroad, particularly those in the lower cadre.

The number of recruitment firms have increased from 50 in 2006 to 1,000, with most of them lacking physical address.

The director of immigration, Mr Gordon Kihalangwa said some of the workers recruited by the firms do not know the countries they were headed.

PASSPORTS HELD

“The Constitution says is the right of citizen to get travel documents. But because of the challenges of insecurity and terrorism we have had to scrutinise those who apply for passports. We are holding 400 passports of people who do not know where they are going,” he said.

Several workers mostly those in Middle East have returned to the country with claims of poor working conditions and mistreatment.

Some were taken to countries they had not applied and others have jobs changed on arrival of the destination country. Some of the workers have had to be repatriated after they are thrown out by their employers without pay.

The government last year stopped further registration of recruitment firms and ordered vetting of the existing ones to root out those operating illegally.