Ruto: Saudi Arabia wants to give 350,000 jobs to Kenyans because they're the best

President William Ruto says he has secured more job opportunities for Kenyans in Saudi Arabia during his recent trip to the Middle Eastern country.

During a church service in Eldoret on Sunday, Ruto said Saudi Arabia has 350,000 opportunities open, preferably to Kenyans because Kenyans are the most hardworking of all migrant workers. 

“During my trip to Saudi Arabia last week, they need 350,000 workers and say Kenyan workers are better than the others because they’re hardworking,” the president said.

Ruto further revealed that he will be going back to Riyadh in the next three weeks to unlock more investment and employment opportunities.

“We will soon sign a bilateral labour agreement with them in another three weeks,” he said.

Ruto hit back at critics of his numerous foreign trips, saying he is the country's chief ambassador and that his trips are for the benefit of Kenyans.

"There are those who say I am flying out a lot, but they forget I'm the country's chief ambassador and I have to look for job opportunities for Kenyans," Ruto said. 

Kenya and Saudi Arabia’s labour relations have been marred with cases of mistreatment and even the killing of Kenyan migrant workers in the past.

The former Foreign and Diaspora Affairs minister Alfred Mutua in November last year flew to the country on November 2 in a bid to address the plight of abused workers in the Gulf State.

At the time, he blamed the mistreatment of Kenyan migrant workers in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states on un-streamlined recruitment agencies in Kenya.