The CS said the 11-member team’s mandate will be to advise the government on the vetting, licensing and even regulating requirements of all the recruitment agencies.
He says the move is aimed at protecting the rights of employees who have been exposed to unscrupulous agencies.
“The mandate of the task force shall be to propose measures to address challenges that have led to work in foreign countries and recommend effective regulations for recruitment agencies to deal with unscrupulous and unethical employment agencies,” Kambi said on Tuesday.
Last month, the ministry revoked all the accreditation certificates issued to private employment firms as well as suspended the export of domestic workers to the Middle East and the Gulf region.
The sudden move followed repeated cases of mistreatment of Kenyan workers particularly house helps in the Middle East.
The task force will also “vet and recommend a list of bonafide recruitment agencies to operate in Kenya and develop, in consultation with stakeholders, an all-inclusive action plan to mitigate future challenges.”
Among those appointed to the team are Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary General Francis Atwoli and Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE) CEO Jacqueline Mugo.
Donald Kipkorir has been appointed as the chairman and Edith Okoki as secretary. Others are Carol Kariuki, Mohamud H. Ahmed, Albert Mwendar, Mike Oloitiptip Sonte, Khadija A. Asman and Scholastica Ndambuki.
The task force is expected to complete its work within three months.
The CS says in the meantime, the ban on the on the export of domestic workers to the Middle East and the Gulf region is still in force.
He has however urged the department of Immigration and Kenya Airports Authority to collaborate with the ministry in the enforcement of the ban.