Pioneering the Kenyan Migrant Workers Welfare Fund
A consultative workshop for Drafting the Kenyan Migrant Workers Welfare Fund (KMWWF) Bill in Naivasha, Kenya
4 August 2023
In a collaborative effort between the Better Regional Migration Management (BRMM) Programme and the Fairway Project, an Inter-Governmental Consultative Workshop for Drafting the Kenyan Migrant Workers Welfare Fund Bill took place in Naivasha, Kenya, from July 17 to 21, 2023. The workshop convened a diverse assembly of stakeholders, including representatives from the State Department for Labour and Skills Development, The National Treasury, the Office of the Attorney General, the State Department of Diaspora Affairs, the National Employment Authority (NEA), the National Industrial Training Authority, the National Social Security Fund, the Directorate of Immigration Services, the International Labour Organization, the International Organization for Migration, Central Organization of Trade Unions, Kenya (COTU-K), Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE), Association of Skilled Migrant Agencies of Kenya, (ASMAK), Kenya Association of Private Employment Agencies (KAPEA), Returnee Migrant Workers, as well as the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK).
The consultative workshop emphasised the significance of labour migration as a source of employment and livelihood, facilitating technology and skill transfer. However, the challenges faced by Kenyan migrant workers, such as exploitation and a lack of social protection, necessitate the establishment of the Kenyan Migrant Workers Welfare Fund (KMWWF). This fund aims to provide vital protection, assistance, and welfare services for migrant workers and their families during migration, in their destination countries, and upon their return and re-integration. The Government of Kenya, in alignment with its Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), prioritises the welfare of migrant workers and has issued Executive Order No.1 of 2023 to establish this specialised fund. To fast-track the fund's establishment, a Multi-Agency Technical Committee was formed in March 2021. This committee, consisting of key tripartite agencies related to labour migration, is tasked with developing a draft bill to legally operationalize the KMWWF.
The Inter-Governmental Consultative Workshop also defined membership criteria to include both skilled and low-skilled Kenyan migrant workers, outlined benefits and administrative processes, and proposed seeking initial capital from the Treasury to support the Fund's establishment. Additionally, it was determined that the Fund would include social protection support for migrant workers, thus ensuring a comprehensive and supportive framework to address the welfare of Kenyan migrant workers. These accomplishments marked significant progress in the establishment of the Kenya Migrant Workers Welfare Fund and underscored the collaborative and consultative nature of the workshop.
The workshop achieved significant milestones, including finalizing the structure of the fund, defining membership criteria encompassing both skilled and low-skilled Kenyan migrant workers, and identifying benefits and utilization, administrative and management procedures. The next steps involve costing the KMWWF, establishing membership fees, and initiating public participation in the Labour Migration Management Bill, scheduled for presentation in the National Assembly.
The consultative workshop emphasised the significance of labour migration as a source of employment and livelihood, facilitating technology and skill transfer. However, the challenges faced by Kenyan migrant workers, such as exploitation and a lack of social protection, necessitate the establishment of the Kenyan Migrant Workers Welfare Fund (KMWWF). This fund aims to provide vital protection, assistance, and welfare services for migrant workers and their families during migration, in their destination countries, and upon their return and re-integration. The Government of Kenya, in alignment with its Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), prioritises the welfare of migrant workers and has issued Executive Order No.1 of 2023 to establish this specialised fund. To fast-track the fund's establishment, a Multi-Agency Technical Committee was formed in March 2021. This committee, consisting of key tripartite agencies related to labour migration, is tasked with developing a draft bill to legally operationalize the KMWWF.
The Inter-Governmental Consultative Workshop also defined membership criteria to include both skilled and low-skilled Kenyan migrant workers, outlined benefits and administrative processes, and proposed seeking initial capital from the Treasury to support the Fund's establishment. Additionally, it was determined that the Fund would include social protection support for migrant workers, thus ensuring a comprehensive and supportive framework to address the welfare of Kenyan migrant workers. These accomplishments marked significant progress in the establishment of the Kenya Migrant Workers Welfare Fund and underscored the collaborative and consultative nature of the workshop.
The workshop achieved significant milestones, including finalizing the structure of the fund, defining membership criteria encompassing both skilled and low-skilled Kenyan migrant workers, and identifying benefits and utilization, administrative and management procedures. The next steps involve costing the KMWWF, establishing membership fees, and initiating public participation in the Labour Migration Management Bill, scheduled for presentation in the National Assembly.