The National Employment Authority (NEA) was established in April, 2016 by an Act of Parliament (the National Employment Authority Act 2016) which effectively provided the legal framework and mandates for its operations. The Authority was created out of the then National Employment Bureau (NEB) which was one of the Departments in the Ministry of East African Community, Labour and Social Protection.
The Act therefore provided for the transitioning of the Bureau into the National Employment Authority. It mainly provides for a comprehensive institutional framework for: employment management; enhancement of employment promotion interventions; and increasing access to employment by the youth, minorities and marginalized groups and for connected purposes.