The government has advised Kenyans seeking employment opportunities outside Kenya to use the right channel and asked them to stop using tourist visas to seek employment.
Labour Principal Secretary Shadrack Mwadime has said a number of Kenyans leave the country in search of opportunities abroad on tourist visas.
“I want to give a warning to young Kenyans that getting a tourist visa does not guarantee you a job in the international labour market. A work permit will guarantee you a job,” the Principal Secretary emphasised.
He made the remarks in Canada while on an official tour to source employment opportunities for skilled Kenyans.
“Our objective is to get to know of the official job opportunities that are available in accordance with the government of Canada,” the Principal Secretary said.
Mwadime said many Kenyans have ended up wasting their resources on documents that do not merit.
“Rather than being cheated or hoodwinked, people steal your money for no reason at all. “It’s better that we create this pathway and you are able to follow it to access the job that you need to take up in these countries of destination,” the PS stated.
He also placed recruitment agencies on notice and warned the government would take stern action against any agency that defrauds Kenyans.
“We do not want Kenyans to be duped or conned of their hard-earned money by agencies that are sometimes bogus. They place adverts on social media and hoodwink our young people concerning opportunities available abroad which are not there,” he reiterated.
He at the same time announced the government is establishing an incentive to motivate Kenyans working in foreign nations.
“We desire to come up with packages for Kenyans as they work abroad by ensuring that we give tax holidays so that their investment gets a return that is as high as possible,” the PS stated.
The PS said this on Monday when he paid a courtesy call to the Kenyan Ambassador in Ottawa, Canada, Carolyne Kamende Daudi.
