Kenya inks 2,500 jobs for citizens in Saudi Arabia – President Ruto

President William Ruto says Kenya has secured an agreement to send medical workers to Saudi Arabia as part of efforts to secure employment opportunities for citizens abroad.

Earlier in November, President Ruto travelled to Germany to discuss about 200,000 jobs for Kenyans.

Under the deal reached in Saudi Arabia, about 25,000 workers, including nurses and other skilled workers, will go to the oil-rich nation from Kenya in the first phase of the employment initiative.

“Previously, we only sent domestic workers, but now we can export skilled labour to Saudi Arabia and other countries,” President Ruto said on Friday, adding that the workers will receive a monthly salary of 200,000 Kenyan shillings ($1,300; £1,000).

Kenya’s labour ministry earlier said it would send 1,500 workers to Israel “with a guaranteed net [monthly] income” of $1,500.

The initiative has been part of President Ruto’s will to secure employment opportunities for Kenyans outside the shores of the East African nation.

The drive for Kenyans to work abroad is targeted at easing the country’s unemployment crisis and sending back money to help with Kenya’s deteriorating foreign exchange reserves.

Kenya’s inflation jumped marginally in September, after all sectors recorded a general increase in prices.

The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics said in a statement that inflation was 6.8% year on year in September from 6.7% a month earlier, while monthly, inflation was 1% from -0.1% a month earlier.