Irene Karari Leads Efforts to Protect Kenyans Seeking Jobs Abroad

Irene Karari, Director of the Skills and Expertise Division in Kenya’s State Department for Diaspora Affairs, is overseeing efforts to strengthen labour migration systems and protect Kenyan workers seeking employment abroad.

Her division is working to address exploitative recruitment practices that have affected job seekers. It has focused on improving transparency in recruitment and working with international organisations, including the International Labour Organization. The approach places worker dignity, fair pay and legal protection at the centre of Kenya’s international labour agreements.

Karari’s work also covers the welfare of Kenyans working overseas. She has supported systems that allow migrant workers to access healthcare, legal assistance and psychological support while abroad. The aim is to treat migration as a process that protects workers’ wider welfare as well as their economic interests.

Credential verification is another key area of responsibility. Counterfeit academic documents remain a concern in Nairobi, creating risks for both workers and employers. Karari’s division has introduced stricter checks through multi-agency cooperation, digital authentication and direct verification with accredited institutions such as the Kenya National Qualifications Authority. These measures are intended to prevent fraudulent documents from being used and to reduce the risk of Kenyan workers being blacklisted because of false credentials.

Principal Secretary Roseline Njogu leads the department at the policy and diplomatic level, while Karari’s role focuses on implementation. Her responsibilities include skills matching, vocational standards and developing institutional pathways that put labour migration policy into practice.

The division also faces the challenge of brain drain, particularly as skilled Kenyan healthcare workers move abroad while domestic health facilities continue to face staffing pressures. The government has responded by promoting the concept of “brain circulation”, which seeks to ensure that Kenyans working overseas continue to contribute to the country through knowledge, technology and investment.

Programmes such as the Kenya Diaspora Impact Programme are intended to support this approach by connecting expatriate expertise with institutions and development initiatives in Kenya. The government describes this as a “triple win” model, in which workers, destination countries and Kenya all benefit from international labour mobility.