On the other side of the coin, Kenya’s population is notably youthful, comprising of about 75% being under the age of 35% and 67% of the youth between the ages of 15 and 34 are unemployed or underemployed. The high cost of living and the struggle of finding formal employment for the majority of the population is deemed to create a politically volatile environment. This means that a majority of young Kenyans are unemployed, without prospects. President Ruto’s strategic use of this agreement serves as a stepping-stone to facilitate outward mobility and create practical outlets for the disgruntled youth and ease domestic tensions.

However, concerns about a potential “brain drain” from Kenya are feared and persistent under the migration agreement. Based on the post-colonial critique, the migration is the extraction of skilled labor from the Global South for the aging economies of the North, risking Kenya to bear more of the socio-political risk of a public backlash over jobs being exported instead of being created locally. To mitigate such an occurrence, the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) Country Report on the Germany and Kenya migration agreement makes clear that a Joint Commission has been established to evaluate which professions are deemed strategically essential to Kenya and therefore excluded from the migration scheme. It is deemed essential to not lose oversight of the likelihood and occurrence of such risk to reassure the stakeholders that the agreement is not designed to deplete Kenya’s vital workforce and is a partnership based on a win-win.

Moreover, evidence shows that a significant share of immigrants in Germany consider leaving due to discrimination. A 2025 Forbes analysis revealed that many immigrants cite racial or ethnic bias as a reason for contemplating departure, which reinforces the concerns of social exclusion and discrimination. As a result, Germany must ensure inclusive, anti-discriminatory policies and support systems are implemented to protect migrants. Without these safeguards, focusing solely on the legal implementation of the agreement risks undermining the humanitarian intent of the agreement.

It would be quite right to suggest that the Germany-Kenya migration agreement is undeniably a landmark in bilateral migration diplomacy, but beneath the surface of this cooperation lies a more complex interplay of power, politics, and long-term consequences. If this agreement proves successful, it can push both countries to go beyond and transcend further into a sustainable partnership with broader social, economic, and human considerations. Ultimately, whether “Pamoja” (togetherness) is just a motto or is a principle reflected in tangible and equitable outcomes is something only time will tell.