President William Ruto has unveiled a series of far-reaching reforms aimed at empowering Kenyans in the diaspora to contribute more effectively to national growth.
Speaking during an engagement with the Kenyan diaspora community in Doha, Qatar, on the sidelines of the United Nations Social Development Summit, the President reaffirmed his government’s commitment to improving the welfare of Kenyans working abroad.
President Ruto said the government has streamlined diaspora services, including reducing passport processing time from three months to just three days for Kenyans with confirmed job offers.
“We are facilitating the quick travel of our citizens to take up employment opportunities abroad and ensuring that the process is efficient, transparent, and responsive,” he said.
To protect Kenyan workers from exploitation, the President revealed that more than 600 rogue labour agencies have been deregistered.
He noted that all labour deployments will now be restricted to countries with formal bilateral labour agreements with Kenya. “This ensures that our citizens are treated with dignity and that their rights are fully protected wherever they go,” he emphasized.
In addition, Kenya is pursuing new labour agreements to secure skilled and professional job opportunities for its citizens abroad. The President said this will allow more Kenyan youth to access better-paying jobs, gain advanced technical experience, and return home with skills that can support the nation’s economic transformation agenda.
President Ruto also highlighted plans to make it cheaper and easier for Kenyans abroad to send money home, including through new digital channels and financial reforms. He further announced that the government is exploring the establishment of a diaspor a bond, which will offer Kenyans abroad structured investment opportunities back home.
“The Kenyan diaspora remains a vital pillar of our economy. We want to create a more enabling environment that allows them not only to remit funds but also to invest in transformative projects that drive our national development,” he said.
The President’s remarks underscore the government’s growing focus on harnessing the potential of the Kenyan diaspora, whose annual remittances remain one of the country’s leading sources of foreign exchange.
