NAIROBI, (The Southern African Times) – Kenya plans to boost labor exports in order to enhance remittances from the diaspora, a senior government official said on Wednesday.
Simon Chelugui, cabinet secretary of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, told journalists in Nairobi that the number of Kenyans in the diaspora is estimated at four million and their remittances is below that of other African nations such as Egypt, Nigeria and Ghana.
Chelugui who spoke during the graduation of home-care management trainees said that the country’s focus is now on export of skilled labor which will attract better remuneration for Kenyan workers.
Data showed that the East African nation earned 309 billion Kenyan shillings (about 2.9 billion U.S. dollars) in remittances in 2020.
Chelugui noted that labor migration has become an important policy issue because of the immense socio-economic benefits that it offers to both countries of origin and destination.
He said that while the government has invested heavily in mainstreaming labor migration, there are still challenges such as lack of adequate pre-departure training and orientation.
