Germany has committed to a regulated and targeted labor migration agreement that will allow 250,000 qualified and semi-skilled Kenyan workers entry.

Germany is experiencing a scarcity of skilled labor, while Kenya is having more and more trouble finding young professionals with jobs and enough money to support them.

As part of an experimental effort, Flensburg, in northern Germany, has already welcomed five bus drivers from Kenya.

The cornerstone of the German government’s efforts to reduce immigration is migration agreements.

Additionally, the accord will make it easier for Kenyans living in Germany without legal permission to return home.

Due to the surge in popularity of the far-right anti-immigration party Alternative for Germany (AfD), immigration is currently a major topic in Germany.

In recent years, a comparatively substantial number of asylum seekers have been allowed to settle in Berlin by successive governments.

During the 2015–2016 migration crisis, Germany took in over a million people, the most of whom were escaping war in places like Syria. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion started in February 2022, Germany has also taken in 1.2 million Ukrainian refugees.

William Ruto, the president of Kenya, and Olaf Scholz, the chancellor of Germany, signed the labor agreement in Berlin.

In order to facilitate Kenyans’ employment in the largest economy in Europe, Germany consented to easing several of its immigration regulations.

Berlin authorities are also contemplating granting temporary residency permits to Kenyan laborers who have been granted employment approval.

Long-term visas will also be granted to Kenyans so they can pursue education or vocational training in Germany.

“On the expiry of the long-stay visa, Kenyans may receive a temporary residence permit for study purposes in Germany for up to two years,” the document adds.

It further states that the temporary residency permit may be renewed if the intended use of the residence has not yet been fulfilled but can be in a “reasonable” amount of time.

As per the agreement, IT professionals from Kenya would be permitted to travel to and work in Germany without the need for a formal authorization.

If skilled people complete their university education or vocational training and their qualifications are accepted by the appropriate authorities of the other party, both governments will promote their immigration.

The European country needs more nurses but critics say it should not deprive Kenya of much-needed medical professionals

The deal also includes provisions for the readmission and return of citizens between the two nations.

It spells out guidelines to prevent and fight against labour exploitation, forced labour and human trafficking.

While welcoming five Kenyan drivers in Flensburg on Thursday, Schleswig-Holstein’s Transport Minister Claus Ruhe Madsen said Germany was in need of hard-working hands and clever minds.

In the Kitutu Central Subcounty’s Mwamogesa Moraa village, a 32-year-old woman was discovered dead on Wednesday morning. Kisii police are looking into the matter.

The police report states that Molly Achieng, the deceased, who lived in the nearby neighborhood, was found lifeless in a pool of blood next to a napier grass plantation. Her face and head were visibly injured.

The victim was a businesswoman at Daraja Mbili market, and according to Area Assistant Chief Brian Otieno, it’s possible that she was targeted while going about her regular business.

In order to identify the perpetrators and make sure they are held accountable, police have asked the public for information regarding the crime.

To ascertain the cause of death, the body has been transported to Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital (KTR) for an autopsy.

In order to uphold residents’ safety, which has been compromised by an increase in criminal incidents, residents demanded more patrols and emphasized the necessity of cooperation between the community and security services.

After revealing the contentious government proposal to lease the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to the Indian company Adani Airport Holdings Limited, whistleblower Nelson Amenya has alleged that his life is in danger.

Amenya began disclosing documents detailing the Adani Group’s terms and conditions to the government only two months ago.

The discovery unlocked Pandora’s box, as the sale was received with strong public outcry.

Kenyans have rejected the Indian conglomerate and questioned why the transaction is so secretive, despite the government’s efforts to reassure the public that it hasn’t been signed yet.

Amenya mentioned receiving threats from unidentified people in Kenya and Indian bloggers in an interview with KTN.

Additionally, he received a warning from officers of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) that he would be facing multiple charges related to the matter.

Amenya, a 30-year-old student, is presently enrolled at HEC Paris in France to pursue a master’s degree in business administration.

Amenya clarified the specifics of the the contract, stating that Adani wants complete control over JKIA so that it may be pledged as security for loans.

According to the terms of the agreement, Adani may end the partnership if the government doesn’t uphold its business interests.

Additionally, the government would be in charge of making sure Adani gets Ksh. 50 million in annual concession fees paid quarterly in advance.

Amenya brought up several important points, one of which being why the Indian company prefers to route the money through Abu Dhabi before it can be transferred to Adani rather than doing business directly with Kenya.

Amenya holds a bachelor’s degree in advertising and design from Moi University.

The death of a 17-year-old kid who allegedly committed suicide a few hours after being denied the opportunity to sell his father’s cow at a livestock auction in Mawini village is being investigated by police in Migori County.

A few hours after he was barred from selling the cow in the absence of the father’s national identification card, his lifeless body was discovered hanging with a rope within a bush, according to Assistant Chief Rose Ooko of the Nyamaharaga sub location.

Ooko claimed the deceased requested permission from the cattle auction management to rush home and collect the document, but he never came back, after learning he could not sell the cow without the father’s national identification card. Later, the body was discovered hanging from a rope.

“We don’t yet know what might have driven the child to end his life,” stated to the assistant chief for the region. She wondered if the child committed suicide because he thought his father would punish him for trying to sell the cow without permission.

The body of the deceased is kept in the mortuary at Migori County Level Four Hospital while an autopsy and police inquiries are conducted.

According to a recent assessment, over 23% of Grade 6 pupils in Central are unable to comprehend an English story that is adequate for Grade 3.

In a similar vein, just 77.4% of Grade 4 pupils are able to complete a division problem suited for Grade 3, with students from metropolitan areas outperforming those from rural ones.

According to Usawa Agenda’s Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Assessment 2024 study, despite the large number of children enrolled in school, many are not receiving a high-quality education.

Data gathered in the counties of Murang’a, Kiambu, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, and Nyandarua during June and July of last year is included in the report.

Thomas Nyoro, the acting regional commissioner, introduced it in the county of Murang’a.

In order to reach 1,996 enumeration areas, Director Emmanuel Manyasa collaborated with 51 organizations and sent out 1,996 volunteers and 1,953 village elders.

39,298 kids between the ages of six and fifteen had their assessments conducted after about 38,634 homes were visited.

A total of 1,813 elementary schools, both public and private, were inspected and evaluated in terms of their infrastructure, staff, leadership, degree of empowerment, and 2022 KCPE performance.

A child with a disability living in an urban region has a fifteen-fold higher likelihood of never having attended school, per the research.

Only 18.4% of board of management chairpersons are women, according to the report, indicating that women are underrepresented in management roles in primary schools.

Compared to the national average of 90%, school enrolment is higher in urban areas (95.6%) and rural areas (94.5%).

The percentage of girls enrolled in schools is slightly higher than that of boys, at 95.3%, with the exception of Kirinyaga County, where the percentage of boys enrolled is 95% while that of girls is 93%.

The county with the highest enrollment, Kiambu, had 95.6% of boys and 96.2% of girls enrolled.

Nine percent of children enrolled in school nationwide did not attend, 4.6% never registered, and 4.4% dropped out.

With 6.1% of school-age children not attending, Nyeri County had the highest dropout rate, while Kirinyaga had the lowest dropout rate at 4.9%, which was slightly higher than the national average.

Additionally, Nyeri had the highest percentage of pre-school-age boys missing school—15.4 percent—while Kirinyaga had the highest percentage of girls missing school—15%.

Nyandarua county has the lowest rate of preschool-age children out of school (2.7%), and the highest percentage of pupils in primary schools not in school (6.4%).

In Murang’a, between the ages of four and fifteen, 9.1% of boys and 10.7% of girls did not attend school.

Kiambu recorded the largest percentage of pupils enrolled in private facilities at 60% compared to the national average of 40.5%. Approximately 53% of boys were enrolled in ECDE, compared to 46.6%.

A series of running confrontations between police and a group of Marikiti traders resulted in a standoff on Thursday morning.

This came about as a result of the vendors blocking parts of the route that led to the Nairobi Central Business District in protest over a proposal to shift them to the Kangundo Road Market.

Parts of the road were blocked from traffic entering and leaving the Nairobi CBD by the traders’ burning tires.

Jogoo and Haile Sellasie Roads are the most severely impacted.

As of the time we went to the press, the City center was inaccessible to any vehicle approaching from Jogoo Road.

Acting County Secretary Godfrey Akumali ordered vendors of potatoes, pineapples, oranges, and onions to relocate to the recently opened Kangundo Road market in a notice dated September 10.

This was an attempt to free up traffic and create parking space in the Central Business District by decluttering the area.

The changes were to go into effect instantaneously.

A Kakamega court has sentenced a 23-year-old man to 14 years in prison for defiling a mentally ill adolescent.

Senior resident magistrate Viena Amboko of Kakamega handed down her sentence to Salim Opwachi.

On December 6, 2022, Opwachi infringed the girl together with others who were not in court.

An additional charge of engaging in an indecent act with the minor was also brought against him.

Amboko stated during sentencing that the accused was unfit for a non-custodial sentence because the pre-sentence report was negative.

Amboko stated that she had considered the victim’s trauma and the circumstances surrounding the offense.

The youngster informed the court during the hearing that Opwachi and his cohorts had attacked her when she was heading to the shop at around seven in the evening.

The kid was able to recognize two people because there was moonlight, according to prosecutor Brian Mageria, who testified in court.

Her parents found the youngster after she did not return home, and they saved her life.

Opwachi apologized and requested forgiveness in his mitigation.

In Machakos County, a teenager has been accused of defiling a 12-year-old girl.

When the 17-year-old boy was arraigned in Kangundo Law Courts on Wednesday, he entered a not guilty plea to the offense.

The defendant was charged with a second offense of touching the 12-year-old’s private parts when they appeared before magistrate Daffline Surr.

The suspect reportedly committed the offenses in Tala Township, Matungulu subcounty, on several days, according to testimony presented to the court.

Before the minor returns to court, the magistrate ordered that he undergo psychiatric evaluation in a public hospital that has been accredited.

The suspect has been detained at Tala police station.

On September 13, he will reappear before Surr.