Former Chief Justice David Maraga has launched a strong attack on President William Ruto over the government’s growing labour export programme, which has recently advertised jobs abroad paying up to Ksh200,000 per month.
In a detailed statement released on Thursday, November 20, Maraga promised that if he were ever elected President, he would completely abolish the labour export initiative.
He described the programme as a form of “modern-day slavery,” arguing that sending Kenyans abroad in search of jobs is not the kind of leadership the country deserves.
Maraga said Africa has never fully healed from the painful history of losing its people to slavery centuries ago.
He compared the current labour migration trend to that dark chapter, saying that while it appears harmless on the surface, it is slowly draining Kenya’s best talent under the promise of employment.
“Our beloved Africa still carries the silent scars of losing her sons and daughters to slavery many years ago.
They were taken across the seas, and today we are witnessing a similar situation in Kenya. It may look like a harmless effort to help the youth find jobs, but it is slowly draining the nation of its brightest minds,” he said.
He further added that his government would treat Kenyans as their greatest asset and protect them at all costs.
According to him, elected leaders should focus on building opportunities locally rather than sending citizens abroad to work under risky or uncertain conditions.
He also claimed that corruption and mismanagement at home were partly responsible for the lack of jobs.
Maraga’s remarks followed a New York Times investigation which exposed disturbing experiences of Kenyan workers in the Gulf region.
The report claimed that many of these workers faced abuse, harsh working conditions, and exploitation.
It also revealed that some recruitment agencies, reportedly linked to government officials, were making huge profits—around $1,000 (Ksh129,950) for every Kenyan taken abroad.
However, Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua dismissed these allegations on Wednesday. He maintained that many Kenyans working abroad were earning good incomes, especially those placed in Qatar.
Mutua pointed to new opportunities for 100 diploma-level nurses to work in Qatar’s home-care sector, with salaries reaching up to Ksh200,000 per month.
The CS also projected that between 100,000 and 250,000 Kenyans could get safe and legal jobs abroad in the coming year.
This debate comes barely a month after President Ruto announced that Qatar had agreed to offer 13,000 new job opportunities for Kenyans.
The deal followed his meeting with Qatar Labour Minister Ali bin Saeed bin Samikh Al Marri. The jobs were expected to be supported by a new Qatari visa centre in Kenya.
According to Ruto, the labour export programme is meant to help Kenyans gain global skills, earn decent incomes, and eventually return home with valuable experience that would contribute to Kenya’s development.
The sharp exchange between Maraga and the government highlights the rising national debate on whether exporting labour is a solution to unemployment or a risky path that exposes Kenyan workers to exploitation abroad.
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