President William Ruto announced that recruitment for Kenyans seeking jobs in Germany will begin in two weeks, following the signing of a labor mobility agreement between the two countries.
Speaking on Sunday, Ruto confirmed that the first batch of candidates will be recruited on September 27, 2024.
He highlighted that, despite initial doubts, the program has now become a reality. The announcement came after Kenya and Germany signed the Comprehensive Agreement on Sharing of Labour, Talent, and Mobility in Berlin.
“When I announced that we would have a chance for Kenyan youths to work in Germany, others said I was lying but on Friday they knew there is a plan and a possibility and while I was there on Friday, some Kenyans were already there to work.
“Additionally, on September 27, the first recruitment of Kenyan youths who will work in Germany will be held,” Ruto said.
According to Ruto, Germany agreed to allow 250,000 skilled and semi-skilled Kenyan workers to enter under a targeted labor migration deal. The agreement also aims to ease immigration laws, facilitating Kenyans’ employment in Germany, Europe’s largest economy.
Additionally, the deal will streamline the repatriation process for Kenyans without legal documentation residing in Germany. Ruto urged those who doubted his plans to have faith.
“I am sure, confident and persuaded that the will of God is going to happen in Kenya and no man, no force, nothing will stop the will of God from coming through for our nation,” he said during a service at Stewards Revival Pentecostal Church in Embakasi.
However, Germany issued a statement clarifying the details of the agreement, noting that the labor migration deal does not specify the number of workers involved. The statement emphasized that applicants must meet the strict requirements of the German Skilled Immigration Act and that there are no quotas outlined in the deal.
“This information is clearly false. The agreement between Germany and Kenya does not include any numbers or quotas of skilled workers who will have the opportunity to work in Germany. All applicants must fulfill the strict requirements of the German Skilled Immigration Act,” Germany’s Federal Ministry of Interior and Community said in response to a BBC report that claimed the deal would create 250,000 jobs for Kenyans.
