According to President William Ruto of Kenya, an agreement between Kenya and Germany is in the works and may see Berlin welcome Kenyans to fill some of the 250,000 unfilled positions to help the European country's enormous labor need.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany and President Ruto of Kenya relayed the information during a joint news conference from the State House in Nairobi.
According to the deal, the European nation would take in more professionals, skilled workers, and semi-skilled Kenyans. Nairobi wants Berlin to reconsider and relax immigration restrictions so that Kenyans can work in Germany in order to make this possible.
They also agreed to create a framework for linking Kenyan technical and vocational training (TVET) colleges with chosen TVET colleges in Germany, with the purpose of encouraging labor migration from Kenya to Germany following graduation.
“We have agreed to establish a technical team from my office and the ministries of Foreign Affairs and Labour in both countries, to initiate discussions, expeditiously navigate the procedures and formulate an appropriate framework for the export of labor to Germany,” President Ruto said.
“To bridge the language gap, we agreed to introduce the teaching and learning of German in basic education institutions, TVETs, and other institutions of higher learning. Germany agreed to support us in training teachers,” the president added.
Germany in turn promised to fund, extend, and modernize the country's TVET institutions and centers of excellence from three to seven as part of a scheme that will benefit more Kenyan youth and reduce unemployment.
Kenya is Germany's most significant commercial partner in East Africa. The President, on the other hand, bemoaned the fact that the trade balance favored Germany.
According to him, Kenya's exports to Germany in 2021 would be valued at only $130 million, while imports will be worth $392 million. “I have therefore called on the Chancellor to review tariff barriers and allow Kenyan products to enter Germany as well as the European market,” President Ruto said.
Kenya also requested Germany to help its efforts to complete negotiations on the East African Community-European Union Economic Partnership Agreement. The two presidents also agreed on the importance of global cooperation to alleviate the impacts of climate change.