Principal Secretary(PS) State Department for Diaspora Affairs, Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Roseline Njogu has defended the ties between Kenya and Germany.
In a statement, the PS stated that the Kenyan government and Germany on September 13, 2024, signed a non-quota-based migration and mobility agreement that aims to provide a framework for cooperation and information exchange in employment as well as labour market needs, apprenticeship and student training.
Additionally, Njogu stated that the agreement will create a dynamic framework for immigration by aligning the skills and talents of Kenyan professionals with the labour market needs in the Deutschland.
“On September 13, 2024, the government of the Republic of Kenya and the government of the Federal Republic of Germany signed a first-of-its-kind, non-quota-based migration and mobility agreement,” Njogu stated.
“The agreement aims to provide a framework for cooperation and information exchange on labour mobility, apprenticeship, student training, labour market needs, employment and welfare of workers, readmission and return. This innovative agreement seeks to create a dynamic framework for immigration by aligning the skills and talents of Kenyan professionals with the labour market needs of employers in Germany.”
She added that Kenya boasts a well-trained talented and enterprising workforce that is a significant contributor to the world labour market.
“Unlike traditional quota-based bilateral labour agreements, this new agreement focuses on creating a framework for matching Kenyan talent to German labour market needs. Kenya boasts a large, well-trained, and enterprising workforce that is a significant contributor to the world labour market. The Kenyan diaspora, now numbering approximately,” she added.
“A million individuals, play a crucial role in the international economy. Their remittances have surpassed foreign exchange earnings from key sectors such as ten, coffee, tourism, and horticulture, underscoring the substantial economic impact of the Kenyan diaspora.”
The PS further added that the agreement is part of broader strategic partnerships and agreements focused on the diaspora adding that the framework will foster stronger people-to-people connections between Kenya and Germany.
“This agreement with Germany is part of a broader strategy by Kenya to establish strategic partnerships and agreements focused on diaspora engagement and labour externalization. Germany now joins a growing list of countries with which Kenya has developed such strategic collaborations,” Njogu said.
“The implementation phase of the agreement is set to begin as Kenya eagerly anticipates that this framework will foster stronger connections between Kenya and Germany, enhancing mutual understanding and cooperation.”
Germany on 250k jobs for Kenyans
On Saturday, September 14, 2024, the German government dismissed a statement by President William Ruto that the recently signed labour migration deal with Chancellor Olaf Scholz will see 250,000 Kenyans migrate to Germany.
In a statement, the German Federal Ministry of Interior indicated that the two countries did not agree on specific numbers of individuals to benefit from the deal.
“The agreement between Germany and Kenya does not include any numbers or quotas of skilled workers who will have the opportunity to work in Germany. All applicants must fulfil the strict requirements of the German Skilled Immigration Act,” the Ministry said.
This came after Ruto, during an interview with DW, said that the deal would unlock opportunities for 250,000 Kenyans.
“This agreement will unlock 250,000 job opportunities for young pèople from Kenya; that is a bilateral agreement between Germany and Kenya,” Ruto said, adding that there was a huge oversupply of labour in Kenya and a deficit in Germany.
