Diaspora Affairs PS Roseline Njogu
Myanmar, Cambodia, Russia, Iran and India have emerged as worrying destinations for Kenyans seeking jobs abroad, with a new government report revealing thousands have had to be repatriated.
The State Department for Diaspora Affairs says it repatriated 4,928 Kenyans in distress between 2023-24 and 2025-26.
Of these, 583 Kenyans were victims of human trafficking or smuggling, the Subsector Medium-Term Expenditure Framework Report for the period 2027-28–2029-30 says.
The report says 82 were brought back dead, while another 239 Kenyans were evacuated from Cambodia and South Africa.
The report assesses the department’s performance over the past three years and outlines its priorities for the next three years.
The report exposes an expanding overseas labour market in which Kenya is pursuing more international employment opportunities, although the state is struggling to protect migrant workers.
During the three-year period under review, the department evacuated and repatriated 4,928 Kenyans in distress from more than 20 countries.
These included Sudan, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Tanzania, Qatar, Russia, South Africa, India, Iran, Sierra Leone, Jordan, the UK, Australia, Egypt, Spain and Somalia.
“Through repatriation and evacuation, the government protects the lives of Kenyans by reducing psychological and financial burden of the Kenyan diaspora in crisis as well as providing a structured path back home,” the report says.
At the same time, the state department says it provided counselling, psychological first aid and psychosocial support services to 1,569 Kenyans in distress and their families through consular visits, consular outreaches, evacuations, repatriations and walk-ins.
While Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE have long featured prominently in discussions about the welfare of Kenyan migrant workers, the report points to growing risks in destinations in Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe and elsewhere.
The department says the influx of young Kenyans into international labour markets is particularly worrying.
Migrants often have limited capital, weak support networks and a greater willingness to take risks in pursuit of economic opportunities, making them vulnerable to sexual abuse and labour exploitation because of ignorance or limited bargaining power when negotiating employment contracts.
Diaspora PS Roseline Njogu said the bulk of distress cases come from people who travelled to the diaspora through irregular channels.
The government also says labour migration is increasingly being used as a cover for transboundary crime.
It says some Kenyan migrant workers end up being subjected to forced labour, drug trafficking, money laundering and online fraud.
The report blames part of the problem on weak enforcement of labour-mobility laws and irregular migration.
It says these weaknesses have contributed to unregulated labour migration, exposing Kenyan workers to exploitative recruitment practices and unsafe working conditions.
“The subsector faced challenges including migration risks, human trafficking and diaspora protection posing serious threats to Kenyan migrants; weak enforcement of labour mobility laws and irregular migration that expose Kenyan workers to exploitative recruitment practices and unsafe working conditions,” the report says.
Additionally, a lack of accurate diaspora data affected evidence-based planning and decision-making, while inadequate budgetary allocations and financial constraints hindered the delivery of planned diaspora services within set timelines.
The warning came as the government steps up efforts to place more Kenyans in foreign jobs through the Kazi Majuu initiative.
The state department says it facilitated 10 strategic labour-mobility partnerships with foreign governments and employers during the review period.
These include partnerships with Denmark, Belgium, Italy and Armenia.
The agreements also include a comprehensive Mobility and Migration Partnership Agreement with Germany, an agreement with Austria and a UK arrangement for seasonal agricultural workers under the Mkulima Majuu programme.
There is also a remote-jobs agreement with a German foundation, and partnerships involving the US state of Nebraska, Japan and Canada.
The government also signed or negotiated agreements with Japanese company Shimizu Corporation, Germany’s AHK Eastern Africa and other partners aimed at skills transfer, apprenticeships, job placement and international employment.
But the report acknowledges that the expansion is taking place alongside a protection gap.
The government is also concerned about the lack of reliable information on Kenyans abroad.
It says inadequate diaspora data, combined with low registration of Kenyans with Kenyan missions, continues to undermine evidence-based planning and decision-making.
Russia has also emerged as a deadly destination, with young Kenyans being lured with fake job offers, only to be sent to fight on the front lines in Ukraine.
Intelligence reports indicate that up to 1,000 Kenyans may have been recruited to fight for Russia, with many reportedly killed on the frontline.
The department is now proposing stronger measures to address the problem.
Among its priorities are nationwide job fairs to sensitise prospective migrants about safe labour pathways, pre-departure orientation, six diaspora resource centres or safe houses in selected missions, and stronger engagement with countries offering employment opportunities.
It also wants closer cooperation between the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, Counter-Trafficking Secretariat, National Employment Authority and Immigration Department to crack down on exploitative recruitment.
The department says better information-sharing between these agencies and Kenyan missions abroad will help curb irregular migration and improve responses to cases of migrant exploitation.
Instant Analysis
A new government report has raised concern over the growing risks facing Kenyans seeking jobs abroad. The State Department for Diaspora Affairs says 4,928 Kenyans in distress were repatriated or evacuated between 2023-24 and 2025-26, including 583 victims of human trafficking or smuggling. The report identifies risks across more than 20 countries, including Myanmar, Cambodia, Russia, Iran and India.
