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Before Kenyans can chase opportunities abroad, they might need more than just passports and visas—according to Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua, they will also require attitude training.
Appearing before the Senate on Wednesday, March 5, Mutua claimed that foreign employers have raised concerns about the behavior of Kenyan workers, prompting the introduction of the training.
“Kenyans are good employees, but they can be hard-headed sometimes. We are forming a system with attitude training to teach our young people, who have grown up in an activist system. So that we train them to leave their activism at home, they go there and follow the system,” said Mutua.
His remarks, suggesting that Kenyans’ attitudes are harming their chances on the global job market, have sparked heated debate online.
On X, user @VictorKiprop criticised Mutua’s stance, stating: “The Minister of Labour, the guy who should be actively ensuring the dignity and rights of workers, especially those working abroad, but his strategy is asking them to stop speaking up about mistreatment. Something is terribly wrong here.”
Another user, @SheedyZolani, likened Mutua’s remarks to modern-day slavery, commenting: “We are training them on how to be a good slave with no rights whatsoever. God help our girls in slavery.”
The CS’s comments come at a time when Kenyans, both at home and in the diaspora, have been vocal about governance and workers’ rights.
During the Gen Z-led protests in June 2024, Kenyans abroad also staged demonstrations at their respective embassies, demanding accountability from the government.
However, Mutua claims such activism has led to complaints from foreign employers, who now reportedly prefer Ugandans and Tanzanians for job placements, sidelining Kenyan workers.
As a result, moving forward, Kenyans seeking jobs abroad through government channels will be required to undergo attitude training to “fix” their mindset before deployment.
So far, Mutua says they have posted labour attaches to Riyadh, Geneva, Doha, Dubai, UAE, and Berlin in Germany and are planning to post some more within the next two to three months, an exercise that is estimated to cost Sh300 million.
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