Mudavadi: Kenya is negotiating with Saudi Arabia for improved wages, conditions

Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has said there are currently 594 foreign job recruitment agencies with valid licenses, while the government has deregistered over 600 on various grounds of malpractice.

The Prime Cabinet Secretary said the number of distress cases handled from the Middle East from 2023 to date stands at about 3,452.

He said Kenyans migrating abroad must have travel insurance cover.

Mudavadi, however, said that no single insurance company has a monopoly covering Kenyans seeking jobs in the Gulf, adding that individuals and Kenyan private recruitment agencies are free to choose their preferred insurance company.

The CS was responding to questions by MPs, who sought to know whether any senior government officials or their family members directly or indirectly own, control, or benefit from recruitment, training, or insurance companies involved in deploying Kenyan workers to the Middle East.

He was also required to provide the full terms of the current bilateral labour agreements with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, including negotiated wages, complaint-handling mechanisms, emergency response obligations, and repatriation terms for Kenyan workers.

“Kenya is at an advanced stage of negotiations with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for a new comprehensive agreement that will cover skilled and semi-skilled workers with significantly improved wages and conditions. We have received official communication on enhanced wage agreements for Kenyans employed in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” Mudavadi told MPs.

He said the number of Kenyans living and working in Saudi Arabia is now estimated at 350,000, and to enhance consular services, the government recently opened a consulate in Jeddah to augment the mission in Riyadh.

“We will be seeking more budgetary support to expand the capacity of our mission to serve Kenyans better. The government will be seeking funding for the establishment of a safe house for Kenyans in distress,” Mudavadi said.

The MPs also sought an explanation on the criteria and specific oversight mechanisms applied in vetting agencies before they are granted recruitment licenses, as well as the number of recruitment agency licenses that have been revoked in the last five years.

In his response, Mudavadi said a multi-agency committee comprising the Ministry of Labour, Interior, Foreign Affairs, Attorney General, National Police Service, National Intelligence Service (NIS), and the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) was set up.

He explained that the committee vets all applications by recruitment agencies in line with Sections 54A to 60 of the Labour Institutions Act 2007 and the Private Employment Agencies Regulations of 2016.

The criteria, he said, include financial capability with a capital base of Sh5 million, office space and facilities, and educational qualifications of the directors and managers— a degree for the manager and a Form 4 certificate for directors.

There must be at least one Kenyan director, while foreigners must have a work permit.

Asked why the minimum wages of Kenyan domestic workers in Gulf countries have not been renegotiated in line with regional benchmarks like the Philippines and Sri Lanka, Mudavadi explained that a Bilateral Labour Agreement for domestic workers was signed in 2018 and operationalised in 2019.

In addition, a meeting held in February 2019 between representatives of Saudi manpower companies and Kenyan recruitment agencies agreed on a minimum salary of 850 Saudi Riyals.

However, last month, Saudi Arabia officially launched Phase 3 of its Wage Protection System (WPS) for domestic workers.

Under this phase, all employers who hire two or more domestic workers are now required to transfer salaries through official digital channels.

"This step reflects the Kingdom’s strong commitment to safeguarding workers’ rights and ensuring timely, transparent, and secure salary payments,” Mudavadi explained.

By January 2026, the system will become mandatory for all domestic workers in Saudi Arabia, regardless of the number of employees.

He said the WPS for domestic workers is the first system of its kind globally to cover this category of workers, representing a landmark reform that strengthens protection, promotes fair treatment, and enhances trust between employers, workers, and recruitment offices.