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In a striking address during the joint National Executive Retreat and Parliamentary Group consultative meeting held in Naivasha, Nakuru county, President William Ruto took a firm stance against Kenya Kwanza legislators for their apparent lack of initiative in mobilizing job applications for 2,500 healthcare vacancies in Saudi Arabia.
Despite the government's efforts to publicize these opportunities, only about 500 applications have been received, a figure that Ruto found surprisingly low.
Expressing his shock, the president criticized the MPs for not actively informing their constituents about the available jobs, especially given his own vocal support for facilitating overseas employment for Kenyans.
“It was advertised in the press. I have talked about this thing in every meeting. When you sit in those meetings and listen to the president talking about nursing opportunities, are you not asking yourself about them? Aren't you supposed to go look for nurses and tell them about it?
“I see people saying they are not aware but what do you want me to do? How much louder should I talk? As we are talking today, we still need 2,000 nurses and more to come. An intelligent person will leave here and go do what they must do. You have constituents, they will take a lot of offence if they discover that there are a lot of opportunities that have been advertised everywhere and nobody has come for them. It has to be deliberate, somebody has to do their homework,” President Ruto said.
He pointed out the contradiction in MPs lobbying for government positions for unsuccessful election candidates while overlooking job opportunities for ordinary citizens.
Ruto's frustration was palpable as he questioned the MPs' awareness and engagement with the job vacancies that had been widely advertised in the media and discussed in his public rallies across the country.
He emphasized the importance of proactive action, highlighting the significant number of Kenyans still in need of employment and the opportunities awaiting them abroad.
“Any serious leader will listen to what I am saying and do something about it. The only thing I find when I come to counties is people telling me to look for jobs for leaders who were unlucky during the elections, but when it comes to ordinary Kenyans you don't say anything. Yet here are opportunities but….” the head of state said further criticising the legislators for not creating enough awareness about the 2,500 healthcare jobs.
The president underscored his commitment to creating job opportunities for young Kenyans, mentioning ongoing negotiations with the German government to provide 250,000 job placements.
This initiative is part of a broader strategy to address unemployment and ensure that Kenyan professionals have access to international job markets.
In a direct challenge to the legislators, Ruto stressed the urgency of disseminating information about these opportunities to their constituents, hinting at the potential political fallout should they fail to act.
The MPs' request to distribute the remaining vacancies immediately was met with skepticism by the president, who questioned their previous inaction and emphasized the necessity of personal responsibility in ensuring that Kenyans are aware of and can access these opportunities.
“If we were to divide the 2,000 posts remaining amongst us, everyone would have about 4 vacancies to inform Kenyans about.
"You want us to share them out now but let me ask, what kept you from bringing even 20 or 30 candidates before? You say you were not told but whom do you expect to tell you? Do you not read the news? When I am talking, do you think I’m talking hot air? Whenever I am speaking what do you grasp? Do you understand English?” President Ruto questioned.
He challenged the MPs to support the government in achieving its objectives, promising that if they are keen on doing their jobs and aligning with the bottom up plan, they are likely to have a chance are re-election in 2027.