Kenya Signs Canada Jobs Deal to Send Skilled Care Workers Abroad
Kenya has signed a new agreement with Athari Global Workforce Solutions (AGWS) to create structured employment opportunities for Kenyan professionals in Canada’s special care and support sector.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by Principal Secretary for Diaspora Affairs Roseline Kathure Njogu and AGWS founder Deepak Soni. It builds on a Letter of Intent signed earlier this year, under which 46 Kenyan professionals have already been placed in accredited care facilities in Canada.
The partnership will be implemented through the Government’s Muuguzi Majuu Programme, which promotes safe, orderly and skills-based labour migration.
Under the agreement, Kenyan candidates will receive prerequisite training before travelling to Canada. This will include internationally recognised certifications and cultural orientation to help them meet Canadian industry standards and adapt to their new workplaces.
The State Department for Diaspora Affairs has also facilitated links between AGWS and Kenyan training institutions. The partnerships will support curriculum alignment and candidate screening to ensure applicants meet the requirements of Canada’s care sector.
Njogu said the agreement would strengthen the Government’s approach to labour migration by combining skills development with worker protection.
“We are not just sending workers abroad; we are preparing them with globally competitive skills, protecting their rights, and ensuring they become ambassadors of Kenyan talent,” she said.
The framework includes safeguards covering recruitment, training, placement and support after workers arrive in Canada. AGWS is a social enterprise that supports adults and young people with special needs in Canada. The organisation is working to address a shortage of developmental service workers in the country.
For Kenya, the partnership is part of a wider effort to promote what the Government describes as “skills circulation” rather than “brain drain”. The approach is intended to allow Kenyans who gain international experience to return with new skills, investment opportunities and knowledge that can contribute to development at home.
The agreement is also part of Kenya’s broader efforts to establish structured labour mobility arrangements with foreign countries. The Government says such agreements can provide legal employment channels, reduce the risks of irregular recruitment and help protect workers from exploitation.
The emphasis on training, certification and worker welfare could also provide a model for similar labour mobility partnerships in other sectors and countries.
The Government says the approach will help position Kenyan professionals as skilled contributors to international labour markets while ensuring that overseas employment supports long-term national development.
