Kenya Builds Frontline Capacity for Safe and Orderly Labour Migration

A two-day capacity-building workshop for officers deployed at the Labour Migration Airport Desks and the One Stop Shop Centre was held in Nairobi on 17 and 18 July 2025, bringing together officials from key government institutions involved in Kenya’s labour migration governance. The workshop was organised to strengthen coordination and technical capacity among officers working at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport labour migration desk and the One Stop Shop Centre, which provide end to end labour migration services for outbound migrant workers. The initiative responded to the growing need for safe, regular, orderly and responsible labour migration as overseas employment continues to expand in Kenya.

The workshop addressed the fragmented nature of labour migration administration by convening officers from multiple agencies, including the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, National Employment Authority, Directorate of Immigration, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and other relevant institutions. Sessions focused on the mandate of the Directorate of Labour Migration Management, rights-based labour migration, national labour migration policy, airport protocols, bilateral labour migration agreements, and the labour migration process from job orders to departure. Particular attention was given to the roles and responsibilities of officers at the airport desks and the One Stop Shop Centre, as well as the importance of inter-agency coordination in preventing irregular migration pathways and protecting migrant workers.

The workshop concluded with practical action planning on complaint handling, escalation mechanisms, and tools for receiving and managing cases raised by migrant workers and their next of kin. Expected outcomes included improved understanding of institutional mandates, enhanced collaboration across agencies, clearer procedures for service delivery, and strengthened mechanisms for data collection and integration across the migration cycle. By strengthening the operational capacity of frontline officers, the workshop contributed to Kenya’s broader efforts to promote safe migration, protect migrant workers’ rights, and ensure effective labour migration governance.