Lawmakers have raised concern over what they described as a biased and unclear recruitment process for overseas jobs, after it emerged that the majority of beneficiaries come from only three counties; Machakos, Makueni and Kitui.

The National Assembly Committee on Diaspora Affairs and Migrant Workers has now summoned Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua to explain the criteria used, questioning why other counties were sidelined despite nationwide mobilisation.

During a session with the committee on Thursday, National Employment Authority (NEA) Director General Edith Okoki distanced the Authority from the selection process, saying it was fully conducted by the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection.

“The Authority is unable to explain the criteria used for selecting candidates who travelled abroad, as we did not participate in the recruitment,” Okoki said.

Her remarks sparked outrage among members of the committee, who said the recruitment process lacked fairness and transparency.

The committee chairperson, Lydia Haika, said many job seekers across the country had applied but never stood a chance due to the unclear selection methods.

“There is no need to mobilise an entire county when only ten slots are available. If the opportunities are limited, say so clearly. You need to rethink your recruitment strategy,” Haika said.

The MPs also expressed frustration that none of the thousands of Kenyans who submitted applications through NEA’s online platform were selected. They demanded clarity on how the system was being used, if at all, in actual recruitment.

In response to the revelations, the committee resolved to summon the Labour Cabinet Secretary to provide a full account of the recruitment process, focusing on inclusivity, transparency, and the involvement of NEA.

A joint meeting between the ministry and NEA is also being planned to come up with a more open and fair approach going forward.

Meanwhile, President William Ruto, speaking at the Third National Executive Retreat, praised ongoing reforms in the labour migration sector, noting that 400,000 Kenyans had secured jobs abroad over the last two years.

“Over the last two years, 400,000 Kenyans have found their way into jobs outside Kenya. Sometimes we say things, and people wonder. They are contributing to our development, and they are sending money to Kenya,” the President said.

He credited the growth to the government’s efforts to dismantle a corrupt system run by rogue agents and replace it with a structured and safer labour migration framework.

He also announced a Sh100 million allocation to the Youth Fund in the supplementary budget to help job seekers afford travel costs such as passports and air tickets.

“We want to not only use it to drive our development, but we also want to make a global workforce out of this very important asset that we have,” Ruto added.