Kenya through the State Department for Diaspora Affairs has collaborated with the Federal Republic of Germany to negotiate a Comprehensive Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement.
This agreement is expected to facilitate the movement of workers between the two countries, addressing skills gaps and creating new job opportunities.
The negotiations, which took place in two rounds, one in Nairobi and another in Berlin, were led by key officials from both sides.
The Kenyan delegation was headed by the Principal Secretary for Labour and Skills Development Shadrack Mwadime, and Diaspora Principal Secretary Roseline K. Njogu, who served as the lead negotiator.
On the German side, the negotiations were led by Dr. Joachim Stamp, the Federal Government Special Commissioner for Migration Agreements, and Mr. Holger Schamberg from the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community.
After extensive discussions, the two countries have finalized the draft agreement, which covers all relevant aspects of migration and labor mobility.
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The agreement is set to undergo internal legal and procedural checks by both governments before being signed in September 2024.
Once signed, the agreement will be implemented progressively, starting with a Job Fair in Nairobi.
Both countries have committed to complete implementation of the agreement through a Joint Implementation Committee.
Origin of the Agreement
This landmark agreement was reached following a meeting between Labor Cabinet Secretary Florence Bore and her German counterpart Hubertus Heil in Berlin in February this year.
“I can now officially announce that we have started the process that is meant to address the issue of shortage of skills in the German labor market as well as the surplus of skilled and non-skilled labor in Kenya,” said the CS then.
Notably, the partnership is rooted in the initiative conceptualized during the exchange of high-level visits between President William Ruto and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in 2023.
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Diaspora Principal Secretary Gives her remarks
In a statement seen by The Kenya Times, PS Roseline Njogu noted that she was excited to have completed the talks.
“Excited to have completed this! It was a real honor to serve as Kenya’s lead negotiator on this migration and labor mobility project,” read her statement in part.
“Looking forward to the signing of the agreement in the next couple of months, and robust implementation,” she added.
This partnership signifies a major step towards enhancing collaboration between Kenya and Germany in addressing migration challenges and promoting opportunities for jobs, ultimately benefiting both nations economically and socially.
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