President William Ruto has asked the Ministry of Labour to hold a meeting with the relevant labour relations committee so as to raise the minimum wage by at least 6 per cent.

This, he said, is part of the government’s initiative to uplift the welfare of workers.

President Ruto also instructed the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection to operationalise multiple wage councils provided for in the Labour Relations Act 2007, aiming to ensure industrial peace and the effective management of disputes.

These include wage councils for seafarers and protective, general and agricultural workers.

“They will negotiate minimum wages in different sectors, enhancing conciliation, mediation and industrial peace,” he said.

President Ruto made the remarks during the 59th International Labour Day celebrations at Uhuru Gardens National Stadium, Nairobi County.

The President said the government is doing all in its power to grow the economy and ensure the well-being of all citizens.

He explained that significant progress has been made in managing inflation, stabilising the currency and addressing debt.

“Our economic policies have also lowered the prices of basic goods, easing pressure on workers,” he said.

The President said the government has a deliberate plan on how to create jobs, citing the affordable housing programme, digital hubs and migration of labour.

He urged doctors to end their strike and engage in negotiations with the government in good faith.

The President said while doctors have the right to resort to industrial action, it should be done responsibly and with consideration for the well-being of the public.

Present were Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, Labour Cabinet Secretary Florence Bore, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja and COTU Secretary-General Francis Atwoli, among others.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of President of the Republic of Kenya.

Operational teams within the Home Office have been working at pace to safely and swiftly detain individuals in scope for relocation to Rwanda, with more activity due to be carried out in the coming weeks. 

The action is a key part of the plan to deliver flights to Rwanda in the next 9 to 11 weeks. 

This activity forms yet another major milestone in the government’s wider plan to stop small boat crossings, which we reduced by more than a third in 2023.  

The Rwanda policy will deter migrants from making perilous journeys across the channel by showing clearly that, if you come here illegally, you cannot stay.  

Home Secretary James Cleverly said: Our Rwanda Partnership is a pioneering response to the global challenge of illegal migration, and we have worked tirelessly to introduce new, robust legislation to deliver it. Our dedicated enforcement teams are working at pace to swiftly detain those who have no right to be here so we can get flights off the ground. This is a complex piece of work, but we remain absolutely committed to operationalising the policy, to stop the boats and break the business model of people smuggling gangs.

Home Office Director of Enforcement Eddy Montgomery said:  Our specialist operational teams are highly trained and fully equipped to carry out the necessary enforcement activity at pace and in the safest way possible. It is vital that operational detail is kept to a minimum, to protect colleagues involved and those being detained, as well as ensuring we can deliver this large-scale operation as quickly as possible.

The Home Office has increased detention capacity to more than 2,200 detention spaces, trained 200 new caseworkers to quickly process claims and has 500 highly trained escorts ready. 

Commercial charters have also been booked and an airport has been put on standby. 

Rwanda has proven time and again its ability to offer asylum seekers a chance to build new and prosperous lives with accommodation, education, training and employment. The country has a strong and successful track record in resettling people, hosting more than 135,000 refugees, and stands ready to accept thousands more who cannot stay in the UK.   

The government’s Safety of Rwanda Act and internationally binding treaty reaffirm and ensure the safety of Rwanda and this policy. The treaty responds directly to the Supreme Court’s findings in December, by strengthening Rwanda’s asylum system to ensure no one will be returned to an unsafe country after relocation. Building on the treaty, the Act confirms that Rwanda is a safe country for the purposes of relocation.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Government of UK.

On April 30, commencing at 12:40 local time (April 30, 8:40 p.m. JST) for approximately 90 minutes, Ms. KAMIKAWA Yoko, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, who is visiting the Federal Republic of Nigeria, met with senior officials including women from international organizations and internally displaced women, who are working at the forefront of peacebuilding in North-East Nigeria.

At the beginning, UN Women welcomed Minister Kamikawa’s visit and explained that it is supporting vulnerable women in times of conflict and violence in line with Nigeria’s policies such as its national action plan related to Women, Peace and Security (WPS). Minister Kamikawa stated that she is promoting WPS as one of the major foreign policies and explained about Japanese stabilization efforts in the North-East Nigeria.
Minister Kamikawa asked questions about the humanitarian and development situation on the ground in the North-East Nigeria and how internally displaced women are participating by themselves in the efforts of community stabilization and early recovery. In response, senior officials from the UN Women, UNDP, UNICEF, and other international organizations explained their efforts on WPS in the NorthEast Nigeria.
Moreover, internally displaced women, referring to the desperate situation of their communities, explained that Japan’s support has improved their lives and has a positive impact on the status of women, and they are participating in efforts of stabilization and early recovery of their communities based on their experience as victim.
Minister Kamikawa stated that she would continue to support the efforts to stabilize the North-East Nigeria by incorporating the perspective of WPS.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.

On April 30, commencing at 10:50 a.m. local time (April 30, 6:50 p.m. JST) for approximately 90minutes, Ms. KAMIKAWA Yoko, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, who is visiting the Federal Republic of Nigeria, held a foreign ministers’ meeting with H.E. Ambassador Yusuf Maitama TUGGAR, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Federal Republic of Nigeria. The overview is as follows.

At the outset, Minister Kamikawa stated that the number of new investments by Japanese companies having attention to Nigeria’s potential is increasing and expressed her will to further strengthen business and economic ties with Nigeria, the largest economy in sub-Saharan Africa, with its abundant entrepreneurial spirit, and to cooperate for Nigeria’s human resources development in the fields of start-ups and business-related laws. Furthermore, she expressed that Japan will cooperate with Nigeria in addressing the challenges it faces in the areas of food security and measures against infectious diseases.
In response, Minister Tuggar welcomed Minister Kamikawa’s visit to Nigeria and expressed his appreciation for Japan’s supports for food security and measures against infectious diseases that have recently been signed. He also expressed his expectation for further enhancement of bilateral economic relations by utilizing Japanese technology and financial resources and expansion of Japanese companies into Nigeria.
Minister Kamikawa stated that Japan will support political and economic stability of Nigeria and other coastal countries of the Gulf of Guinea by continuing humanitarian and development assistance to address the root causes such as poverty and humanitarian crises in the Sahel. Minister Tuggar stated that strengthening of democracy is not a one-time event but a time-consuming process and the stability cannot be achieved otherwise, and explained concrete efforts by Nigeria. The two ministers shared their recognition regarding strengthening of partnership in this area.
Moreover, Minister Kamikawa stated that Japan is implementing the efforts to support women’s livelihoods and prevention of gender-based violence in North-East Nigeria based on the perspective of Women, Peace and Security (WPS), and that she would like to further strengthen the partnership in the field of WPS. The two Ministers also confirmed the strengthening of cooperation in the international arena, including the situation in East Asia, WPS, nuclear disarmament, and strengthening of the functions of the United Nations, including the Security Council reform.
Minister Tuggar introduced two Nigerians who studied in Japan, and each states the importance of Japan-Nigeria cooperation in the field of measures against infectious diseases and cooperation in the field of business based on Japanese model, and explained the importance of human resources development through study in Japan and exchange and cooperation between universities and educational institutions of both countries.
The two ministers confirmed to further strengthen bilateral relations towards the TICAD Ministerial Meeting in August this year and TICAD 9 in August next year.

(Reference)　Women, Peace and Security (WPS)

　In 2000, for the first time in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC)’s history, the UNSC unanimously adopted “Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Resolution 1325,” which clearly stated that international peace, conflict prevention and conflict resolution require the equal participation of women, protection from sexual violence in conflict, and gender equality. To implement this and subsequent resolutions, Japan has formulated action plans three times and implemented them.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.