Wednesday, September 23, 2026(NEW YORK,USA) — On the Sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Kenya joined leaders from governments, development partners institutions, employers, and multilateral agencies for a strategic roundtable on "Pathways to Global Opportunity: Linking Development Investments to Labour Mobility,"

Convened by Pathways International and the Center for Global Development, the meeting sought to forge partnerships that channel development financing into safe, demand-driven labour mobility, positioning skills and talent, as the engine of shared prosperity between countries of origin and destination.

Speaking at the event, Ms. Roseline Kathure Njogu, Principal Secretary of the State Department for Diaspora Affairs, framed labour mobility as a triple win: for the diaspora workforce, for countries of origin and destination, and for employers, with the gains flowing through skills, capital, and networks built along the mobility chain. To unlock this, she stressed, countries must implement mutual recognizition of qualifications so that workers can plug into job markets seamlessly.

The PS, accompanied by Ms. Irene Karari, Director of the Skills and Expertise Division, said skills for development sit at the heart of Kenya's agenda, given its youthful population. She noted that the Kenya Diaspora Policy (2024) treats labour mobility as a vital instrument for employment creation, skills development, diaspora engagement, and national development.

PS Njogu added that Kenya is aligning its TVET programmes with emerging international labour-market demands to ensure trainees graduate job-ready.

On fears of brain drain, the PS said that through various avenues, the government is facilitating skills and knowledge transfer back home, including platforms like the proposed Kenya Diaspora Impact Programme (KDIP), which will enable diaspora professionals to give back in their fields.

The PS concluded by expressing Kenya's readiness to join a multi-stakeholder dialogue on scaling responsible, development-oriented labour mobility pathways,in partnership with governments, employers, training institutions, development partners, and international organizations.