NAIROBI, Kenya, June 30 – A group of 50 Kenyan workers left the country last week for employment opportunities in Russia, marking the beginning of a new labour migration program aimed at addressing youth unemployment.
The group, which includes individuals from various counties, is set to work in a food packing factory on the outskirts of Moscow. According to officials, the recruits will earn a monthly salary of Sh115,000 and receive free accommodation and meals from their employer.
The recruitment was facilitated by the agency Yumna and supported by the Uwezo Fund, which covered air tickets and placement fees through a loan arrangement. Workers are expected to repay the loan over time once they begin earning abroad.
Speaking at a send-off event held in Nairobi, government representatives urged the workers to save and invest their earnings back home. The group will be received by officials from the Kenyan Embassy in Moscow and hosted by Kenya’s Ambassador to Russia, Peter Mathuki.
Many of the departing workers described the opportunity as a turning point, with several saying they had been unemployed for years before securing the jobs.
Labour migration has become a growing avenue for job creation in Kenya, with the government seeking bilateral agreements with countries including Germany, the United Kingdom, and Saudi Arabia. The move to place Kenyans in formal employment abroad has, however, sparked public debate over worker rights, contract transparency, and ethical recruitment standards.
The latest Russia-bound deployment adds a new destination to Kenya’s foreign labour market strategy, with authorities saying more job placements are expected in the coming months.
