Why Qatar job trip has delayed for some applicants

Labour CS Alfred Mutua addresses the media on the progress and concerns surrounding the ongoing Qatar job recruitment initiative at the KICC, May 2, 2025. /ALFRED MUTUA/X

Labour and Social Protection CS Alfred Mutua has said that applications for jobs in Qatar is a process that takes prolonged time.

He said that many applicants have been travelling over a period of time, depending on the offer letters being received.

This comes amid concerns from Kenyans about the merit of the international jobs offered to them.

Some applicants claimed they were made to pay thousands of shillings by recruitment agencies but they never got offer letters for jobs.

The allegations prompted the Senate to summon the CS to issue an explanation and confirm or deny the claims.

Speaking on Tuesday when he appeared before the Senate, Mutua said that Kenyans are still travelling to Qatar for employment.

“The travelling of people overseas is a process, out of the 3,000 people who were indicated initially that they had been given job offers were hired. We received slightly below or above 1,000 job offers, and the processing started, and since then, people have been travelling,” he ethe CS said.

“Many have been travelling over a period of time, and they are still going. The job that we were given in Qatar was for over a year, and it was based on placement at different times.”

Mutua said that those who had applied for the jobs were taken through an induction on what to expect.

“We told them, when the job offer comes, you will be able to travel for the job offer or wait for the job offer.

The jobs were from a company from Qatar, but were read out in different countries, the CS explained.

"They have their businesses in different countries. They were going to be posted to these companies' businesses across the Middle East and the North African region."

The CS admitted that some of the job offers were not up to the standards expected in the country.

He said the ministry refused to take the offers because no Kenyan was to be allowed to work in another country for a salary that is less than in their country.

“The salary needs to be a bit higher. You are leaving your family here, your environment, so the salary should be higher. It took time because they went and renegotiated for a raise in salary,” he said.

According to Mutua, the negotiations worked out and the salaries were raised, with Kenyans getting offer letters.

The CS said that Kenyans who were not interested in travelling were refunded their money, save for the medical fee.

“Others have travelled and have been given alternative jobs and similar jobs elsewhere. Others chose to wait for alternative jobs,” he added.