Kenyan diplomat meets to discuss employment opportunities

Tuesday 18 April 2023

The Kenyan High Commissioner recently met with Ministers to discuss further collaboration between the two jurisdictions - including potential future employment opportunities for Kenyans in Jersey’s health sector.

H.E. Mr. Manoah Esipisu, a Kenyan diplomat and the High Commissioner since 2018, visited the island on Friday.

Treasury Minister Deputy Ian Gorst, who currently holds responsibility for External Relations, welcomed Mr Esipisu, along with Assistant Social Security Minister Deputy Malcolm Ferey and Home Affairs Minister Deputy Helen Miles.

At the meeting, they discussed and recognised the value that Kenyan nationals already bring to the island both economically through their contributions to the hospitality and construction sectors as well as culturally to Island life and community groups, with benefits to both Jersey and Kenya.

Their discussion of potential employment opportunities for Kenyans across Jersey's health sector comes after Lee Madden, of GR8 Recruitment, said last year that he hoped to bring workers from Kenya and Rwanda to fill vacancies in hospitality, construction, health care and agriculture to solve the staffing crisis.

In December 2019, GR8 hired 100 Kenyan graduates to shore up Jersey's short-staffed hospitality industry, after the government granted extra short-term seasonal work permits.

Prior to his current role, Mr Esipisu served as the State House Spokesperson and Head of the Presidential Strategic Communication Unit in Kenya, where he was responsible for communicating the activities and policies of the President to the public and the media. He has also served as Kenya's Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, where he represented the country in various UN bodies and committees.

Pictured top - left to right: Deputy Malcom Ferey, H.E. Mr. Manoah Esipisu, Deputy Ian Gorst and Deputy Helen Miles.