Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has said plans are afoot to publish bilateral agreements and treaties between Kenya and other countries as part of an "open government policy".
The Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs said such deals will no longer be treated as "military secrets" but will be made public once they have been approved by Parliament.
He noted that the government will upload all deals on the ministry's portal for easy access by Kenyans.
The CS claimed that once a sessional paper on Kenya's foreign policy, which is being prepared by the government, is operationalised, a number of reforms will be adopted, including the publication of treaties and agreements signed with other countries once they have been approved by Parliament.
Mr Mudavadi pointed out that one of the things his ministry and President William Ruto's government are pursuing is an open government policy.
"We do not intend to hide any information and we will share information with Kenyans because they are entitled to it," he said.
“Therefore, when we conclude any MoUs, they shall not be hidden. They shall be made available to the relevant committees of Parliament. As I said, we want to pursue a policy of open government. We will be ready to share the details with Parliament.”
The development comes after Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka raised concerns that Kenyans continue to suffer in foreign countries because of hidden labour contract agreements.
He said the agreements should be shared with Parliament for scrutiny and to ensure that the content and terms are understood.
“The reason why our people keep suffering out there as they work in those countries is because most of those agreements are hidden. This is because no one knows what is written in those agreements and no one understands what the terms are,” Mr Onyonka said.
Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot wanted to know how many bilateral labour agreements Kenya had signed in the last two years, how many were in the process and why there seemed to be a delay in concluding some that had been under negotiation for quite some time.
“I know these agreements will open up opportunities for many young Kenyans that are looking forward to plying their trade elsewhere where those opportunities exist,” said the Kericho senator.
For his part, Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale went further and asked the CS to table the agreements in Parliament.
But CS Mudavadi said the government wanted to open up foreign policy matters by making them public and making more people aware of Kenya's partnerships with other countries.
“We are in the process of going digital on this so that one is able to access a portal and know what treaties and MoUs have been signed by Kenya and different countries. If people want to engage in terms of business, then they can look at them and see which ones they can engage in,” he said.
The Prime CS said the government has negotiated bilateral labour agreements with Germany and Austria, while about 19 agreements are in progress and at various stages.
Mr Mudavadi noted that they will continue to streamline the bilateral agreements so that any issue of immigration or migrant workers is in line with international law and human rights issues.
He highlighted the case of the government working to improve its engagement with the governments of Saudi Arabia and Qatar on labour movement.
“Each country has its own issues, and we try to navigate on a bilateral basis with individual countries. We are making good progress and we will try to accelerate where possible,” he said.
The CS added that through the bilateral agreements, Kenya wants to ensure the dignity of Kenyans in the various places where they prefer to work.
“We are talking of almost 3.5 million Kenyans out there in different parts of the globe. I wish to state that these negotiations are not just about what you would call labourers. We have a skills’ policy that is being worked on so that we can have doctors, technicians, teachers and other professionals ... to benefit from this arrangement,” said Mr Mudavadi.
However, Senator Onyonka pressed the minister to explain why the government was recruiting people for such opportunities on the basis of their tribe when Kenyans expect equity and fairness when opportunities are offered.
“Is the Prime Cabinet Secretary aware that all of the 400 Kenyans working in Iowa in the USA come from one Kenyan community? Can you promise this House that when those positions come out and are going to be distributed to Kenyans, especially those targeting certain areas, that all our 47 counties are going to be included and will get their small share of the cake of whatever the government is baking?” he asked.
In his response, CS Mudavadi maintained that it was not a deliberate policy of the government to engage in such skewed recruitment, adding that the recruitment was largely driven by the private sector.
“However, the government will not entertain an ethnic-driven arrangement when getting people opportunities outside the country. Some issues are historical and we all know them.”
