Kenya and Germany are forging a new deal to help boost the long awaited immigration labor force between the countries.
In Berlin Germany; a charter which will design a means for skilled workers to move between the two countries, while safeguarding the rights of the Kenyan workforce.
It follows that in the aftermath of Kenya’s Independence (from the United Kingdom), in 1963, the Federal Republic of Germany was the first Western economy to recognize Kenya under the international laws, thereby instituting the dawn of a progenitive alliance that has surprisingly stretched across six entire decenniums.
The bilateral-relations came into existence and prospered; weathering the storms against the background of the Cold War politics, the crumbling down of the East African Community (in 1977 and its subsequent revival in November 1999), the rise of terrorism in East Africa, The Common party era in Kenya, followed by multi-party era, the post-election violence of 2007, the global financial crisis, if just to mention but a few.
As far as Germany is concerned, over the course of time, in a bid to solve issues of diplomacy and national interest, it wielded some unique policy frameworks, hence espoused the official political system known as ‘The Hallstein’, ‘Economic self-interest’ and ‘The Friedenpolitik’, which have adversely shaped its development aid policy.
In the earlier part of the twentieth century, Germany encountered some considerable amount of policy-making and economic upheavals, nonetheless, embellished victory in its socio-occupational restoration. According to a report published by the Forbes Magazine in 2024, Germany is one of the substantial industrialized economies the world over, the third largest global economy after America and Japan, hence the source of the significance of this corporation.
In distinction to trade and investment, through development assistance and cultural exchange, the trust has boosted the two nations, as part of Germany’s general foreign aid policy towards Africa. Kenya must be very fortunate given that it’s the only Economy in the entire Sub-Saharan Africa, and west of Limpopo that is basking in this partnership with Germany.
Scores of high-level bilateral courtesy calls took place in 2023. For instance, in March, the Kenyan President Ruto visited Germany and in May, the Federal Chancellor Scholz reciprocated the visit, to Kenya. In addition, the German Foreign Minister Baerbock had a meeting with president Ruto during her visit to Kenya in February 2024. Against yet another background of a crisis-ridden region in East Africa, Germany regards Kenya as an important ally and one of its most important economic partners in the region. More than 100 German companies have a base in Kenya, which some of them use, to serve the entire region of East Africa. Kenya and Germany have common interests, including the promotion of stability, peace and security and environmental protection.
Of late, bilateral relations have intensified considerably. Kenya is an important partner, especially in the fight against climate change and in supporting youth employment. This is also mirrored in the climate and development partnership signed in late 2022.
German development cooperation buttresses Kenya in its endeavors to fight corruption and accommodate refugees, for the purpose of bolstering the country with regards to its territorial haven of security. The ongoing investment for the bipartisan advancement cooperation aggregates to over 1.5 billion euro. The Civilization Cooperation delves upon academic partnership, fellowship and the assistance of the broadcast and innovative industry. The Goethe-Institute in Nairobi nurtures the German language and civilization courses in Kenya.
The regional office of the German Academic Exchange Service in Nairobi enriches academic interchange uniting Kenya and Germany, substantially alongside subsidizing bursarship. Subsequent to 2020, the German language has been tendered as an elective subject at Kenyan schools. In addition, legislative bedrocks, Varsity collaboration initiatives and a battalion of German establishments reinforce cultural cords and non-governmental organizations agreements.
The Immigration Labour Accord of 2024
The second round of the mechanical deliberations for the Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement between the Republic of Kenya and the Federal Republic of Germany was effectively deduced in Nairobi, Kenya, on the 14th of May, 2024. With the vocational and economic aid of the International Labour Organization (ILO), Better Regional Migration Management Programme and the UK FCDO, this consequential milestone patented a decisive stride in the joint endeavors, to upgrade expatriate workers management and enhance the fruits of alien workers, for the two countries.
Facilitated by Kenya’s Ministry of Labour and Social Protection and the State Department for Labour and Skills Development, the deliberations treaded on the heels of the precursor, which was held in Berlin, in February 2024. The deliberation intimated the dedication made by H.E. President William Ruto and his German counterpart, H.E. Chancellor Olaf Scholz in May 2023, accentuating the weightiness of qualified expatriate workers between the two nations.
The Kenyan emissaries consisted of spokesmen from core ministries, counting Labour, Immigration, Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Technical and Vocational Training, and the Office of the Attorney General. Correspondingly, the German legation comprehended their equivalent, guaranteeing a panoramic and a miscellaneous interchange.
The conference was focused to establish the stipulations of the charter, which were under re-examination, following the preliminary consultations in Berlin. Either of the countries had tarried for intramural deliberations to give some discourse to certain requirements and certify reciprocated conveniences towards the agreement. This accord is mapped-out to handle the employment market demands of either of the countries, dispensing an organized foundation for the expatriation of trained labourers.
It embraces procedures to safeguard the prerogatives and the well-being of Kenyan expatriate labourers in Germany, corroborating a sound, regulated, and high yielding form of migration. The triumphant denouement of these deliberations mirrors the unassailable collaboration uniting Kenya and Germany. It harps upon the devotion of either of the countries to amplifying bipartisan interconnection via a tactical confederation in labour migration.
The charter is scheduled to pronouncedly surge the ingress to satisfactory foreign careers for Kenyan workforce in Germany, subscribe to their socio-occupational progress via transfer of funds and technical know-how and decipher the scarcity of employment in Germany. This is a unique historical and monumental agreement, one of a kind! As we project towards celebrating the epoch-making event over the weekend, both nations have maintained their allegiance in joined forces in the vicinity of a much brighter future.
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