The government has warned that drug abuse among young people is increasingly shutting them out of employment opportunities, especially in overseas labour markets.
Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua cautioned job seekers against drug use, saying many young Kenyans are missing out on opportunities due to failed medical tests linked to substance abuse.
“Stop chewing Muguka and smoking bhang. You will not get a job if you are an addict,” Dr Mutua told hundreds of youth who turned up for a mass overseas recruitment exercise at the National Industrial Training Authority (NITA) in Mombasa.
The recruitment aimed to place 4,000 people in overseas jobs through state-certified recruitment agencies. The CS noted that countries recruiting Kenyan workers enforce strict health and drug screening protocols, automatically disqualifying candidates who test positive for drugs.
“If you smoke bhang and chew Muguka, just know you will fail tests for overseas jobs because substances remain in your blood for months. You are responsible for your own actions,” he said.
According to the National Authority for the Campaign against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (Nacada), one in every 11 youths aged 15 – 24 years is using at least one drug or substance of abuse. The most abused drugs include alcohol, khat, cannabis, tobacco, prescription drugs and polydrugs (multiple drugs).
Dr Mutua said the growing trend of drug consumption among youth is undermining government efforts to create employment opportunities through bilateral labour agreements.
At the same time, the CS warned job seekers against falling prey to fraudulent recruitment agencies, emphasising that only licensed firms should be engaged during the job application process.
“We have 26 registered companies in the Mombasa recruitment. These are the only genuine ones. Those fake companies we have deregistered them,” said Mutua.
He stressed that job seekers who knowingly pay unregistered agencies risk losing their money and should not blame the government for such losses.
He further directed that recruitment agencies must refund applicants who fail medical tests, deducting only the cost of medical examinations.
“If an agency takes commission and you fail a health test, maybe because of HIV or any other health-related issues, they should refund your money, minus the cost for medical,” he said.
Some of the jobs offered are for security guards, nurses, drivers, caterers, and baristas, among others.
Meanwhile, he condemned inter-community violence and cattle rustling, describing them as “primitive, idiotic, and barbaric” acts that have no place in modern Kenya. Recent clashes along the Kitui-Garissa border left at least 15 people dead, displaced residents, destroyed property, and disrupted the vital Mwingi-Garissa Road.
He singled out recurring hotspots, including Baringo, Samburu, Pokot, Kitui, Garissa, and Marsabit, while also criticising leaders who incite such violence for political or personal gain.
The CS urged Kenyans to reject incitement and embrace a forward-looking mindset, noting that Kenya has entered a new technological era in which young people are increasingly unwilling to be used as tools for bloodshed.
