President Uhuru Kenyatta on Monday, April 4 signed the Employment (Amendment) Bill into law.
The new law is a huge relief to job seekers as they will be no longer be required to produce clearance certificates during job applications.
"On its part, the new Employment (Amendment) Act gives reprieve to job seekers by requiring employers to only ask for clearance or compliance certificates “upon granting an offer of employment to a prospective employee.” Previously, prospective employees were required to avail such documentation during job application," reads part of a statement from State House.
Employers will now ask for clearance certificates from the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB), Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), and Credit and Reference Bureau (CRB) once employment is guaranteed.
Clearance certificates can cost job seekers over Sh5,000. Some of the certificates are renewed annually at about Sh1,000.
In February 2022, MPs voted to approve the bill barring employers from seeking clearance certificates from persons they have no intention to hire.
The bill was sponsored by Nominated MP Gideon Keter.
