NAIROBI, Kenya – Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua faced a searing call for resignation in the Senate on Tuesday, as Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale accused him of presiding over a ministry riddled with failures — particularly in the implementation of Kenya’s overseas jobs programme.
Citing unmet obligations under the law, Khalwale said Mutua’s ministry had failed to uphold the constitutional requirement that at least 5% of public service jobs go to persons with disabilities — drawing a comparison to how Parliament ensures the inclusion of disabled senators before proceeding with business.
“You are giving the country the go-round, whiling and talking about circulars and all manner of things that you have said,” Khalwale said during the Senate session. “This failure by yourself and your ministry… is a reflection of your failure in the employment of our youth outside the country.”
He went on to deliver a direct rebuke: “Those youths have asked me this morning… that I demand of you, which I now do, that you resign as the Cabinet Secretary. Are you willing to do so, so that you can be properly investigated?”
Khalwale’s remarks come in the wake of mounting scrutiny over the ministry’s overseas jobs drive, which has been plagued by reports of long delays, mismanagement, and allegations of exploitation.
CS Mutua has previously dismissed criticism of the programme as “noise” from a specific ethnic community, whom he accused of being “incited.” His comments sparked further backlash, with critics saying they trivialised genuine grievances from young Kenyans seeking work abroad.
Although the ministry claims that over 1,000 job seekers have already left the country through the programme, thousands more remain in limbo — some after paying fees to government-accredited agencies but receiving no job placements in return.
Preliminary investigations show that more than 300 Kenyans may have been defrauded by agencies listed by the National Employment Authority (NEA).
Mutua has insisted that investigations are ongoing into 153 suspected fraudulent agents and individuals, maintaining that only “impatience” and political sabotage are fueling the public’s mistrust.
The senator’s push for resignation adds to growing political pressure on Mutua, as the overseas jobs initiative — once marketed as a solution to Kenya’s youth unemployment crisis — increasingly faces questions over transparency, fairness, and results.
