The government has responded to growing concerns from Kenyans seeking jobs abroad about the lengthy two-month delay in document approvals, shedding light on the factors behind the extended verification process.
Labour Principal Secretary Shadrack Mwadime explained that job seekers traveling overseas must now undergo a more rigorous but streamlined verification process. This system requires close coordination between Kenyan embassies in destination countries and foreign embassies in Kenya, which has contributed to the delays.
Mwadime also pointed out that a recent government directive barring recruitment agencies from conducting interviews for Kenyans seeking jobs abroad has further impacted processing times. Under the new policy, foreign employers must now travel to Kenya to conduct interviews in person.
“The employer from the destination will have to come to Kenya to conduct the interviews. The interviews are not conducted by the private recruitment agency but by the employer,” Mwadime clarified.
He further elaborated that once a recruitment agency secures job opportunities abroad, the verification process must go through Kenyan embassies in those countries.
“The moment a private recruitment agency is able to secure these slots abroad, testation will have to be done by our embassy in that foreign country. Once our embassy does that, the recruiter will have to upload the information to our systems, so as to enable any Kenyan to see that job and apply for it,” he added.
To address the delays, Mwadime assured that the government is actively exploring ways to speed up the process. One key measure has been the digitization of the verification system, allowing for quicker authentication of job offers.
“The verification is now done online, and therefore, going digital has been of great assistance in reducing the time required for us to verify whether that job is genuine or not,” he stated.
