|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Kenya has reiterated its commitment to addressing climate change and its impact on the labour market, with a clear focus on green job creation and decent work as core pillars of national development.
Speaking during the ongoing International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conference in Geneva, the Principal Secretary for Labour and Skills Development, Shadrack Mwadime, said the government is prioritising investment in green jobs through the Green Economy Strategy and Implementation Plan (GESIP).
He noted that the country is promoting circular economy principles and enhancing workers’ resilience through skills development for a just transition.
“Climate change and its labour market implications remain a priority in the government,” Mwadime emphasised, adding that job creation has been placed at the heart of Kenya’s national development strategy.
He highlighted that Kenya is taking a comprehensive approach to employment creation by combining infrastructure investment, targeted support for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and expanded access to credit through the Hustler Fund.
Responding to the ILO Director-General’s report themed “Jobs, Rights and Growth: Reinforcing the Connection,” Mwadime said the theme closely aligns with Kenya’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), which aims to promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth anchored in productive employment and social justice.
The PS further reported that Kenya has accelerated the domestication of ratified ILO conventions into national laws, citing recent amendments to the Employment Act, the Labour Institutions Act and the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
These changes, he said, align with emerging decent work priorities within the country’s legal framework.
He also noted significant strides in modernising Kenya’s Labour Inspection and Compliance Framework through digitisation and enhanced capacity-building of inspection officers.
“We are proud to report increased coverage and improved compliance in both the formal and informal sectors, especially in relation to occupational health and safety standards, social security registration, and child labour elimination,” Mwadime stated.
He commended the ILO for maintaining a strong focus on decent work amid global challenges such as economic uncertainty, rising inequality, and climate disruptions.
Other Kenyan dignitaries attending the conference include Labour Commissioner Hellen Apiyo and COTU Secretary General Dr. Francis Atwoli.
