By Silas Apollo
All private agencies responsible for recruiting Kenyan workers to Saudi Arabia will now be subjected to fresh vetting to ensure compliance with the law.
The Senate Standing Committee on Labour and Social Welfare said that the move is aimed at protecting Kenyan workers moving to the Middle East following complaints of mistreatment and harassment by their employers.
The committee, chaired by West Pokot senator Julius Murgor Recha said that the move is also aimed at ensuring that the agencies comply with new rules and regulations set to be ratified by the government to protect workers.
The decision by the committee – which follows its recent visit to Saudi Arabia to assess the condition of Kenyans workers in the Arab nation – comes in the wake of complaints and reports that a section of Kenyans employed in Middle East countries were being exposed to unfair and tough working conditions.
The government is facing increasing pressure to rein in on rogue recruitment agencies
A number of the recruiting agencies have also been accused of failing to follow rules guiding the recruitment of Kenyan workers to foreign nations, leading to cases of exploitations by employers.
The proposal by the Senate committee also comes at a time when the government is facing increasing pressure to rein in on rogue recruitment agencies and pass laws that would protect Kenyan workers moving to Middle East countries in search of employment.
“The delegation recommended that a fresh vetting of all private recruitment agencies to be carried out, review vetting and accreditation mechanisms for private agencies, carry our regular and hoc monitoring of the operation of agencies, establish an integrated on- line recruitment and vetting process and develop a mechanism for sharing responsibilities between the Kenyan Agency and Agencies in Saudi Arabia,” Mr Recha said.
Additionally, the committee also recommended the creation of a forum for continuous consultation and information sharing.
“Furthermore, orders, demands letters and contracts to be channelled through the Labour Attache’ Offices for vetting.
“Finally, all recruitment agencies will be compelled to recruit domestic workers under MUSANED while the other categories to be channelled through QIWA,” Recha added.(
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