Foreign agreements to be public once Parliament approves- PCS Mudavadi

Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has announced a move towards greater transparency in Kenya’s foreign engagements, saying the government will no longer keep bilateral treaties and agreements under wraps.

He said the country is shifting to a more open system that will make such deals accessible to the public after approval by Parliament.

Mudavadi, who also serves as the Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, told senators that once Kenya concludes Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with other countries, the documents will be shared with relevant parliamentary committees and later published online.

"Therefore, when we conclude any MoUs, they shall not be hidden. They shall be made available to the relevant committees of Parliament. As I said, we want to pursue a policy of open government," he said.

He added that this shift will be anchored in a sessional paper on Kenya’s foreign policy that is currently in development.

Once the paper is adopted, the ministry will implement several reforms, including setting up a digital portal where citizens can view signed treaties and international agreements.

This assurance comes after Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka raised concerns about the lack of transparency in Kenya’s labour agreements with foreign nations, which he said was contributing to the suffering of Kenyan workers abroad.

"The reason why our people keep suffering out there as they work in those countries is because most of those agreements are hidden. No one knows what is written in those agreements, and no one understands what the terms are,"  Onyonka said.

Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot also sought clarification on the number of bilateral labour agreements signed in the past two years, those being negotiated, and the reasons for delays in finalising some of them.

"I know these agreements will open up opportunities for many young Kenyans that are looking forward to plying their trade elsewhere," the Kericho Senator said.

Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale supported the need for openness and urged the Prime Cabinet Secretary to ensure the agreements are brought before the House.

He added that digitising the system would allow individuals and businesses to assess opportunities based on the treaties.

"We are in the process of going digital on this so that one is able to access a portal and know what treaties and MoUs have been signed by Kenya and different countries. If people want to engage in terms of business, then they can look at them and see which ones they can engage in," he said.

Mudavadi told the lawmakers that Kenya has already concluded bilateral labour agreements with Germany and Austria, and that 19 other deals are being processed.

He said the government is working on aligning these agreements with international standards on immigration and migrant worker protection.

He also mentioned ongoing efforts to improve labour relations with countries in the Gulf region.

"Each country has its own issues, and we try to navigate on a bilateral basis with individual countries. We are making good progress, and we will try to accelerate where possible," he added.