Ruto seals remote jobs deal with German firms

President William Ruto arrives for the Annual Citizens Festival in Berlin, Germany on Sept 13, 2024. [PCS]

President William Ruto closed ranks with Opposition leader Raila Odinga in Berlin to ink two important labour deals which opened the way for unemployed but skilled young Kenyans to work for German companies.

The two, one between the Kenyan government and Hamburg Chamber of Commerce facilitated by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, and the other a comprehensive migration and mobility with the federal government of Germany were also witnessed by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, and his Labour counterpart, Dr Alfred Mutua.

The Hamburg Chamber agreement was the first to be inked, soon after President Ruto, accompanied by First Lady Rachel Ruto landed in Berlin.

It provides a framework for Hamburg-based companies to engage remote talent in Kenya, with Nakuru County picked out as the pilot county.

Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary, State Department for Diaspora Affairs Roseline Njogu signed for the government of Kenya while Prof Karl-Heinz Paque signed for Friedrich Naumann Foundation and Michael Beck for the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce. Dr Shiko Gitau signed for Qhala Trust.

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“Kenya is continually becoming the silicon savanna where technology, innovation and creativity is central to our development. ‘’This agreement will benefit from the relationship between German technology and Kenyan talent,” Ruto said at the event held at Ritz Carlton, Berlin.

He said the agreement would give Kenya the opportunity for a win-win collaboration and partnership between the two countries which he said have come a long way.

“And therefore it is a coming together of two aspects of two great nations to allow us to leverage on technology to drive our manufacturing, job creation, investment and create expanded opportunities for both countries,” he said.

Hailing the history of the two, President Ruto informed the audience which consisted of German business and political leaders, that Raila was a beneficiary and product of the German-Kenya partnership.“The history we share is evident in this room.

‘‘Our former Prime Minister here, was a young student in Germany, at his (Prof Paque) university,” he said. Raila was schooled at the Herder Institute, in Germany.

Ruto said Kenya had the best human capital, “anywhere in the world”, that it is offering great incentives to companies willing to invest, that it is the gateway to the rest of Africa, and that it is riding on green energy. “About a year before you took office, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation opened its new office in Nairobi. It is also home to our Global Partnership Hub, a centre of excellence for development cooperation. One of the first topics that the hub addressed was the digital division of labour between the Global North and the Global South,” Prof Paquen said.

He said the demographics of the two countries show that they must unite to solve their respective problems; Germany’s acute labour demands, and Kenya’s joblessness among young, skilled people.“For some jobs, this is not possible without migration. Care or service in the hospitality industry cannot be done remotely. But the recent state elections in Thuringia and Saxony have shown us that the willingness to integrate migrants in Germany is currently limited,” he said.