Nebraska officials and trucking giant Werner Enterprises have denied rumors that a recent trade mission to Kenya involved plans to recruit foreign truck drivers, after online speculation resurfaced during Secretary of State Bob Evnen’s return from Nairobi.
Evnen, who arrived back in Nebraska on September 10, had signed a nonbinding memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Kenya on September 2. The agreement outlined areas of cooperation in agriculture, renewable energy, and vocational education, with a focus on Nebraska’s corn, ethanol, dried distillers grains, and irrigation technologies.
“Kenya has one of the strongest economies in East Africa and is a trade gateway into the region. This trade mission continued to grow and solidify Nebraska’s trade relationship with Kenya,” Evnen said in a press statement.
But speculation was reignited after a video circulated online showing Evnen saying there was already a company training Kenyans in truck driving. That comment, paired with memories of a 2024 visit by Kenyan delegates to Nebraska trucking facilities, triggered claims that the MOU would open the door for Kenyan drivers to fill U.S. labor gaps.
Evnen’s office moved quickly to downplay the chatter, stressing that the Secretary of State has “no authority over driver licensure” and that the MOU “does not represent state policy.” Officials emphasized that while the agreement mentions vocational training and workforce upskilling, it does not specifically mention trucking.
Werner Enterprises also issued a categorical denial on social media: “We are not involved in any agreements or discussions regarding the recruitment of Kenyan truck drivers. Any claims suggesting otherwise are just false.”
The clarification comes amid national debates over driver shortages, immigration, and state-level trade deals, where local economic diplomacy often intersects with politically sensitive labor concerns.
The Nebraska government has been roasted online, with several citizens openly rejecting the deal based on figures that Kenya’s road fatality is one of the worst in the world.
This, critics added will compound road accidents.
