Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary Dr Alfred Mutua (left) exchange gifts with his Qatari counterpart Saeed Samikh Al-Marri after talks that will lead to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding allowing Kenyan skilled workers to migrate to the Gulf state.
Kenya and Qatar have agreed to set up a Qatar Visa Centre in Nairobi to streamline the export of labour to the Gulf state, as well as a new station to ensure that job contracts are properly signed.
This is according to Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua, who said on Sunday that the two countries have started bilateral talks aimed at finalising a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Kenya and Qatar that will allow for the deployment of skilled Kenyan workers to the Gulf state.
The new agreement, which is currently being negotiated, will amend the 2012 bilateral labour agreement that focused on unskilled labour migration.
Dr Mutua led the Kenyan delegation in talks with the Qatari team, led by Qatar's Minister of Labour Saeed Samikh Al-Marri, at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi.
The Qatari Minister and his delegation arrived in the country on Sunday to begin discussions.
In his statement, Dr Mutua highlighted Qatar's ongoing development projects that have created demand for skilled workers in sectors such as ICT, health, education, infrastructure and agriculture.
"This MoU will open doors for thousands of skilled Kenyans to contribute to Qatar's key developmental projects," he said.
Dr Mutua, who was accompanied by Principal Secretaries Shadrack Mwadime (Labour), Joseph Motari (Social Protection) and key officials from the National Employment Authority (NEA) and the National Industrial Training Authority (NITA), praised Qatar for its ethical labour practices and commitment to fair treatment of workers.
As part of the agreement, the two countries agreed to establish a Qatar Visa Centre in Nairobi to streamline the migration process.
For his part, Minister Al-Marri said the centre would not only process visa applications, but also ensure that contracts are properly signed and necessary documentation is completed before the workers leave for Qatar.
"With the new visa centre, we can ensure that all workers are processed and protected before they depart, reducing risks and increasing transparency," Al-Marri said.
There are currently about 67,000 Kenyans working in Qatar.
This number, Dr Mutua said, will potentially rise to over 200,000 once the new agreement is signed, unlocking a wave of employment opportunities for Kenyan professionals in the Gulf nation.
