Labour and social protection Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua has urged youth in Garissa to embrace blue-collar jobs, which are readily available in the country and in high demand abroad with favourable remuneration.
Matua was speaking at Garissa University during the Garissa County job fair and exhibition 2025, where he announced overseas job opportunities for over 2000 youths in the area.
Mutua said that while the government was committed to addressing the alarming unemployment rate in the country, the youth in the area must be willing to embrace skilled training.
The CS said that there are numerous opportunities for drivers, cleaners, technicians, plumbers, engineers, security officers, riders, welders and nurses. Air conditioner technicians and hospitality specialists are also needed among other skilled fields.
“I have been told here that there are people trying to discriminate against jobs because they want white-collar jobs. Office jobs are no longer here because employers want technical skills. Today, for a youth who has a bachelor’s degree, getting a job in this world is hard but if you’re a plumber, Australia will even make you a resident and a citizen,” Mutua said.
At the same time, he warned employment agencies against taking advantage of Kenyans seeking employment abroad by taking their money and failing to deliver on their side.
He said that if someone is denied a visa or other problems occur, Kenyans should be refunded the money that has not been spent in the process.
“We need all our agents to be truthful. If you collect money from people that you are taking abroad for jobs, if their visas are denied or another problem arises, call those people and refund the money that has remained after medical and other expenses because also, the money that has already been used cannot be refunded. I will hunt down rogue agents and charge them because this government does not want people’s money to be stolen,” he said.
“However, I have been looking for jobs across the world, and I have also been told that we have rogue employees from Kenya. I have started compiling a list and I will make sure that these people will not get Visas to go abroad for work because we cannot allow them to go and destroy the image for other Kenyans,” he warned.
By Erick Kyalo
