Cabinet Secretary for Labour and Social Protection, Alfred Mutua, has announced plans to increase the number of Kenyans working in Qatar to hit 200,000.

Speaking after a meeting with Qatar Labour Minister Ali Saeed Samikh Al-Marri on Sunday, October 6, 2024, Mutua indicated that the new agreement would see the number of Kenyans working in Qatar increase to 200,000 from 67,000.

During the meeting, CS Mutua lauded the move indicating that it is key to addressing the issue of unemployment in the country.

“Currently, there are about 67,000 Kenyans working in Qatar. With this new agreement, we anticipate that number to rise significantly—possibly reaching over 200,000—unlocking a wave of employment opportunities for Kenyan professionals in Qatar’s key development sectors,” Mutua’s statement read in part.

Amending MoU

Mutua said Kenya and Qatar are looking to amend the bilateral agreement signed in 2012 between the two countries, to allow for more Kenyans to travel to the Arab country for work.

The CS emphasised that the amendment would give skilled Kenyans to get jobs in Qatar unlike previously where only unskilled Kenyans were majorly considered for opportunities.

“I am pleased to announce that Kenya has begun bilateral talks with Qatar to finalize a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will open doors for skilled Kenyan workers to work in the Gulf state. This new agreement will amend the 2012 Bilateral Labour Agreement, which was primarily focused on unskilled labour migration, and now focus on skilled sectors,” Mutua stated.

“This MoU will open thousands of opportunities for skilled Kenyans to contribute to Qatar’s growth while gaining valuable experience and bettering their livelihoods. The talks reaffirm Kenya’s commitment to providing ethical, trained, and well-prepared workers to meet Qatar’s needs while ensuring that our workers are protected and treated fairly,” he added.

Together with his counterpart, Mutua said among the plans in place is to set up a visa centre in Kenya to avoid delays for those looking for job opportunities in Qatar.

Mutua’s remarks come days after President William Ruto announced that Germany is open to accepting Kenyans to work in their country.

During his visit, Ruto signed an agreement with German firms allowing Kenyans to apply for the jobs.

The government is however yet to issue a progress report on Germany’s job opportunities secured.