Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua has reaffirmed that the national job recruitment programme for overseas employment remains suspended until further notice. His statement follows reports that individuals were still showing up at recruitment stations despite previous government announcements regarding the suspension.
Mutua emphasized that no new recruitment activities are currently taking place under the ministry’s mandate. He urged the public to disregard the earlier recruitment schedule, which had initially been set to run until February 20, 2025. Instead, he advised job seekers to rely only on official ministry communication for updates on future opportunities.
Despite the general suspension, Mutua clarified that a recruitment drive is currently underway in Kisumu. This initiative, scheduled for Friday, February 7, to Saturday, February 8, 2025, is being conducted on the sidelines of the Nyanza International Investment Conference. The recruitment specifically targets job seekers from Nyanza counties.
Mutua’s clarification comes over two months after the government initially suspended the overseas recruitment programme. The exercise, which commenced on November 20, 2024, in Machakos County, had covered six counties before being halted. The planned recruitment in Kakamega County was subsequently postponed.
Explaining the rationale behind the suspension, Mutua cited the need for stock-taking and process reorganization. According to the CS, the break is necessary to evaluate the progress made so far and to refine the recruitment process based on lessons learned. Additionally, the ministry aims to ensure that all successful candidates have their documentation in order before deployment.
“The same agents who are conducting the recruitment process are also responsible for reviewing applications. We want to ensure that those who have already been recruited have their documentation processed properly before we proceed with further recruitment,” Mutua stated.
The suspension highlights the government’s commitment to streamlining the overseas job placement programme and ensuring that candidates meet all necessary requirements before deployment. The government is expected to provide further updates on when the recruitment will resume.
In the meantime, job seekers are advised to remain vigilant against misinformation and to verify any job-related communication directly with the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection. The public is encouraged to await official announcements regarding the resumption of the recruitment exercise.
