Kenyans applying for jobs can now breathe a sigh of relief after employers said they will implement the new law that bars them from seeking clearance certificates, unless a person is guaranteed of employment.
Institutions and companies both public and private demanded clearance from the Kenya Revenue Authority, the Credit Reference Bureau, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, HELB and a certificate of good conduct.
Clearance certificates costs a huge sum of money. Qualified candidates end up unemployed as they lack the money to pay for the many certificates. The reason for applying for the job at first is to have a regular salary, and having to spend on a job you aren’t guaranteed to get is a tough move.
The law now prohibits employers from asking for those certificates at the job application stage. They will only ask for the documents once one is guaranteed a job.
Jacqueline Mugo FKE chief executive officer said many companies had sometimes been forced to turn away many qualified applicants due to lack of clearance certificates.
According to a research done by the parliamentary budget office, revealed that the institutions that clear graduates have been milking over Sh750 million every year from job seekers, a majority who are youths.
A Bill sponsored by nominated MP Gideon Keter has recommended abolishing the requirements for job seekers. Mr Keter argued that the requirements for clearance certificates was not only restrictive but had also become an avenue for exploitation by the “clearing government agencies.
Yesterday, MPs supported the amendment Bill which is at the Second Reading stage. The law will come into effect 14 days after it was signed, hence jobseekers will start benefitting towards month-end.