Prominent city lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi has taken to social media to criticise Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua over a contentious overseas jobs programme.
The lawyer’s remarks, shared on his X account, condemned the exportation of Kenyan graduates to Middle Eastern countries under terms he described as exploitative and degrading.
“When you take PRIDE in exporting university graduates as CHEAP LABOUR on SLAVE WAGES to Middle Eastern countries because you have nothing for them at home… then you know you are doomed,” Ahmednasir wrote.
The outspoken advocate decried the move, highlighting the visible anxiety on the faces of the young men recruited for the programme.
He questioned how CS Mutua could celebrate a plan that he characterised as “too cruel,” arguing that the government was failing its youth by shipping them out as a solution to local unemployment.
The programme in question, promoted by the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, aims to connect Kenyans with job opportunities abroad.
CS Mutua has touted it as a pathway to economic empowerment for the youth.
However, critics like Ahmednasir argue that the initiative prioritises short-term gains over creating sustainable local opportunities for Kenya’s educated workforce.
The post has sparked a heated debate online, with some users supporting Ahmednasir’s critique, urging the government to focus on improving conditions at home.
Others, however, defended the initiative, arguing that such programmes offer valuable opportunities for Kenyans to earn a living abroad.
Neither CS Mutua nor the Ministry has publicly responded to Ahmednasir’s remarks.
This latest controversy adds to the growing scrutiny of the government’s efforts to address youth unemployment amid claims that the administration is outsourcing solutions at the expense of dignity and fair labour practices.