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Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua has defended his efforts to send workers to Qatar, saying the Middle East country is safe for Kenyans.

Mutua’s comments come after he saw off another cohort of labourers to Qatar on Saturday, December 28, 2024.

“This team of drivers, part of the 3,000 Kenyans interviewed for various jobs a few months ago, is heading to join their colleagues who are already hard at work in Doha. Every week, Kenyans travel to Qatar to embark on new adventures and build their livelihoods. As a government, we thank the nations that have opened up opportunities for Kenyans.

“We are particularly grateful to the State of Qatar for being a partner in development and collaboration across many areas. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties between Kenya and Qatar in 2003, the bond between our two countries has steadily grown, founded on mutual respect, shared values, and strategic cooperation. We deeply appreciate Qatar for hosting almost 70,000 Kenyans, whose contributions benefit both Qatar and Kenya,” Mutua noted.

Although some reports had indicated there were Kenyan refugees in Qatar, Mutua has refuted such claims.

“As the minister in charge of labor mobility, I am pleased to assure Kenyans that Qatar is a very safe and hospitable nation for them. Despite earlier reports, we can confidently confirm that there are no Kenyan refugees in the State of Qatar. All Kenyans in Qatar are either gainfully employed or visiting this beautiful country,” he added.

Kenya-Qatar relationship

The former Machakos County Governor said he will soon sign a bilateral agreement with his Qatari counterpart Ali Bin Samikh Al-Marri. Al-Marri made a recent visit to Kenya, and that marked the beginning of expanded job opportunities for Kenyan professionals and skilled workers in Qatar, according to Mutua.

“This development underscores the depth of our partnership, and we hope to see even more Kenyans visiting and working in this remarkable country.

“A key agenda item during our meeting was exploring ways to strengthen bilateral labour or cooperation and eliminate challenges hindering the smooth and orderly mobility of labour. In this regard, Kenya welcomed the proposal to establish a Qatar Visa Centre (QVC) in Nairobi.

“This initiative will address labour mobility challenges, simplify pre-departure processes, and combat irregular migration while ensuring smooth transitions for Kenyan workers. We are confident that the existing partnership between our two countries will reach even greater heights as we complement each other’s developmental aspirations,” he concluded.