Thursday, September 17, 2026(NAIROBI)___The Government has reiterated its commitment to strengthening safe, orderly and regular labor mobility pathways for Kenyans seeking employment abroad, while enhancing measures to protect the diaspora workforce from human trafficking, forced labor and other forms of exploitation.

Speaking during a panel session at the Fourth Employment and Labour Relations Annual Symposium and Exhibition (ELRASE IV), Diaspora Affairs Principal Secretary, Ms. Roseline Kathure Njogu, CBS, emphasized the need to match the expansion of international employment opportunities with stronger systems that safeguard the rights, welfare and dignity of Kenyan workers.

PS Njogu said labor mobility and the protection of diaspora workers must be treated as interconnected priorities, noting that the success of Kenya's international employment agenda cannot be measured solely by the number of Kenyans securing jobs abroad.

"Success must also be measured by whether our people access those opportunities through genuine, verified and ethical pathways, and whether they remain protected throughout the entire employment cycle," she said.

The Principal Secretary warned that while the Government has continued to strengthen formal labor mobility processes and scrutiny of recruitment channels, the changing nature of labor mobility has brought new forms of vulnerability. Human trafficking, she noted, is increasingly being disguised as legitimate overseas employment.

Traffickers and informal intermediaries are exploiting the high demand for jobs abroad through fraudulent advertisements, social media platforms and informal recruitment networks, luring Kenyans with promises of attractive employment opportunities that often turn out to be traps.

In response, the Government is expanding structured labor mobility pathways through the Diaspora Placement Agency (DPA), the Kazi Majuu platform, bilateral labor agreements, and verified partnerships with destination countries and employers.

PS Njogu issued a rallying call for a whole-of-Government and whole-of-society approach to labor mobility and the protection of Kenyan workers abroad. She emphasized that through coordinated action, stakeholders can prevent exploitation, protect and restore victims, hold perpetrators accountable, provide effective remedies, and ensure that lessons from each case strengthen protection for the next diaspora worker.

The discussions at ELRASE IV underscore the growing intersection between labor mobility and labor justice, as Kenya seeks to expand international employment opportunities while ensuring that diaspora workers are not left vulnerable to exploitation.

The symposium brought together key stakeholders in employment and labor relations to chart a path toward ethical, protected and dignified labor mobility for Kenyans seeking opportunities beyond the country's borders.