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Kenya signs deal with 3 UK Crown dependencies for diaspora jobs
A job seeker holds a passport while filling out a form during a mass recruitment drive for various job opportunities in Qatari companies at KICC on October 25, 2024.
What you need to know:
- GR8 will help recruit Kenyans to work in the Crown dependencies.
- GR8 has been partnering with Kenyan colleges to address UK labour shortages.
Kenya has inked an MOU for skilled workers to find jobs in the British Crown Dependencies.
The deal establishes a valuable international labour corridor, potentially raising the country’s diaspora remittances, an official dispatch said.
The deal between the Kenyan government and recruitment firm GR8 and would pave the way for staff to be recruited to work in Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man.
Roseline Njogu, Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Diaspora Affairs, and Lee Madden, GR8’s Chief Executive, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Tuesday this week.
“We are inviting good employers to come and recruit from Kenya,” Njogu said. “Our country has an abundance of trained talent in healthcare, IT, education, engineering and more.”
For his part, the chief executive of GR8 said that his firm had already recruited hundreds of Kenyan workers in recent years, primarily for roles in hospitality and care.
“This deal gives us the mandate to speak on behalf of the Kenyan government when it comes to recruiting talent for these islands,” he said. “Kenyan hospitality staff, in particular, have played a key role in alleviating the labour shortage that occurred three or four years ago.”
UK labour shortages
GR8 will help recruit Kenyans to work in the Crown dependencies and the government says that the agreement guarantees fair wages, ethical recruitment practices and protection of workers' rights.
Kenyan professionals will also receive pre-departure training and cultural integration programmes to facilitate a smooth transition to new overseas stations.
GR8 has been partnering with Kenyan colleges to address UK labour shortages by linking trained hospitality workers to opportunities in the UK. It will now do so under a government arrangement.
The deal may align with Kenya’s Global Labour Market Strategy (2023–2027), which aims to increase overseas employment opportunities. But the actual implementation of the MoU will depend on available opportunities and other relevant immigration requirements being fulfilled.
“This is about building a legacy of opportunity, and Kenya is ready.”
Njogu is leading a government delegation for a week-long visit to Jersey, during which they are scheduled to meet with senior island officials, including the Minister for External Relations, Ian Gorst.
The delegation will also hold talks with business groups, such as the Jersey Chamber of Commerce and the Jersey Construction Council.