He assigned area Members of Parliament (MPs) with the task of rallying the youths from the county to be part of the programme.
President William Ruto on Sunday, July 28 promised Kenyan youth seeking jobs abroad that their applications for passports would be expedited and that the government as well as employment agencies will foot the cost of their flights.
Speaking at Mwatate in Taita Taveta County, the Head of State revealed that the government had identified over 400,000 job opportunities abroad, available in the State Department of Labour’s online directory.
He assigned area Members of Parliament (MPs) with the task of rallying the youths from the county to be part of the programme.
Furthermore, Ruto announced that the government would pay for air tickets for those travelling and process their travel documents within a week.
A photo of processed passports as taken on April 22, 2024. /KITHURE KINDIKI
“Every week, 1,000 Kenyan youths relocate to work in other countries. Now Taita Taveta should get ready for their turn,” the President said.
“To the MPs, I have done my job of looking for opportunities abroad, I have planned that anyone who wants to go abroad for work is given a passport and other needed documents within a week. They will not need to pay for the air ticket, we shall pay the ticket.”
The Ministry of Labour would oversee the process until the youths are flown to take up the jobs.
The announcement comes at a time when the Immigration Department under the Ministry of Interior has been facing challenges in processing passports.
Over the past three years, many applicants for passports faced inconveniences occasioned by underfunding, shortage of passport booklets, breakdown of printing equipment, corruption and poor public relations by staff.
The department pledged to work overtime to ensure Kenyans get their passports on time.
Other than jobs abroad, Ruto has also been pushing for the creation of digital jobs in the country. On July 27, he made public details of a deal between the government and Kenya Power, which would see the delivery of high-speed fibre internet to all technical training institutions across the country.
Speaking at the Kinango Technical and Vocational College, Kwale County, the Head of State added that the internet would also be delivered to various wards across the country as the government implements the digital hubs plan alongside MPs.
Further, Ruto explained that the initiative was crucial as the digital hubs would be job employment centres for the youth interested in working for various organisations abroad.
“Already, we have given a contract to Kenya Power to deliver internet to all our technical training colleges in  Kenya and all our wards so that we can allow our youth to work in the digital space. We just gave the contract two months ago. We have committed Ksh10 billion to that programme countrywide,” Ruto stated.
