Cabinet Secretary for Investments, Trade, and Industry, Lee Kinyanjui, has stressed the importance of regulating foreign labor while pointing out the government’s ongoing efforts to advance digital transformation in service delivery.
In an interview with a local TV station on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, CS Kinyanjui observed that Kenya is struggling with unemployment issues, and therefore cannot accommodate the unregulated entry of workers from globally.
Kenya is unlikely to be receptive to welcoming workers from all corners of the globe to settle in the country. It’s clear that we have significant unemployment problems. He stated that the matter requires regulation.
Digitalisation of services
The CS welcomed the progress in digitisation, but also recognised that further improvement is needed.
Kenya has received praise for its digital transformation efforts. While we may not be at the desired level, digitising government services will make us more accessible and transparent, and it will decrease the human interaction required in the future.
The government is currently increasing efforts to modernize public service delivery, enhance transparency, and minimize bureaucratic inefficiencies.
The country’s overall growth and progress
Meanwhile, he criticised Kenyans for their hesitation to adopt policies essential for the country’s progress.
He believes that the country must accept higher taxes, cannot refuse outside loans, and cannot object to the use of the private sector for building infrastructure, a project that obviously requires significant funding.
The issue in Kenya is often a lack of comprehension, leading to resistance even when a concept has been proven effective in other places. We can’t claim we don’t need higher taxes, we don’t want to borrow from foreign entities, and we shouldn’t engage the private sector to build infrastructure because it will somehow require financial expenditure. He questioned where the money would come from.
