Labour and Skills Development Principal Secretary Shadrack Mwadime has defended the government’s policy of sending Kenyan workers abroad, saying it should be viewed as an opportunity rather than a loss.
During an interview on Radio Generation, Mwadime said young people should not be denied a chance to work outside the country, especially when they face long periods of unemployment at home.
“I look at the issue in two perspectives. Number one, when you’re dealing with human beings, you must realize that they are also social beings,” he said.
“So he is a graduate of medicine who has completed his or her studies, who has been looking for employment for the last two years, you must ask yourself, is that right or it’s morally wrong?” PS questioned
Speaking on Friday, the PS said it is unfair to expect skilled graduates to wait indefinitely for the economy to grow while they struggle to support themselves and their families.
“You cannot tell a human being, 'hey, look, wait until the economy expands, and then we’re going to absorb you.' You can’t do that. It’s morally wrong,” he said.
At the same time, Mwadime dismissed concerns over brain drain, saying the focus should instead be on the benefits of Kenyans acquiring knowledge abroad and eventually bringing it back home.
“Much as there is that argument concerning brain drain, and I’ve heard about it repeatedly, I believe it’s an old theory,” he said.
“The flip side of brain drain is Brain Gain, and that is the way we are looking at it.”
The PS noted that Kenyans abroad continue to support the country through remittances, while also gaining exposure to advanced technology and skills that they can eventually transfer back.
“They go out there. They meet technology as it is. They bring back home this know-how, together with the savings,” he said.
Mwadime cited South Korea as an example, saying the Asian country transformed its economy by sending its youth abroad to acquire skills before returning to build local industries.
“South Korea, about 30 years ago, sent the young people to Japan, to Saudi Arabia and to Germany. They came back with know-how, they were able to exploit the resources that they have now to a point of converting the economy into a first-world economy,” he said.
He explained that this is why South Korea can now compete globally with companies like Toyota and Apple through Hyundai and Samsung.
“The flip side of brain drain is Brain Gain. That is the reality, that is the other side of the coin,” he said.
According to Mwadime, Kenya’s strategy is to encourage young people going abroad to view themselves as “frontline economic soldiers,” tasked with acquiring skills, technology and savings that will later boost the economy.
“Let them go out there, gain as much as they can in terms of the know-how that obtains in those first-world countries, save as much as they can. We want to guarantee them a very high return on the investment. Those are the plans that we have as it is,” he said.
