'I will send lawyers to Gulf countries': Mutua's plan to streamline labour migration laws

In Mutua's view, the existing laws have disadvantaged Kenyans seeking jobs in the Gulf countries since they deny them appropriate working terms and conditions.

Mutua told the Committee on Appointments on Sunday that the first order of business will be sending lawyers to Gulf nations that share labour agreements with Kenya to understand the dictates of their laws.

"I want to get lawyers from the Attorney General's office to go to some of these countries to study and understand their laws because we need to know what we are dealing with," he said.

He however noted that one of the impediments is that citizens go to nations that lack signed agreements with Kenya, hindering apt response in the case of emergencies becomes unfeasible.

He added that he will ensure that there is a professionally curated website listing all the approved recruitment agencies to help tame the growing numbers of illegitimate recruiters.

Mutua argued that this will ensure that the exported workers and online job seekers will be accorded security and appropriate employment terms.

"We will publish, as the government, a portal of the approved agencies because people keep on asking "Is this right?". Any advertisement without the name of a company can be dealt with according to law. People can crosscheck with the government's website to verify that it is a proper company," he noted.

The Labour ministry nominee went on to add that he will seek to have 10,000 workers on a weekly basis, urging leaders to gear up for conducting the recruiting exercises in constituency levels.

"I want to move the numbers from the ones that are there to about 5,000 a week to 10,000 eventually. I want it to be constituency-led so that we can have quotas where MPs can provide people who we can send overseas."