Jobseekers lodge 717 complaints against work agencies

A total of 717 complaints have been lodged by job seekers against various employment agencies in the country in the last two years, MPs have been told.
Out of 717, in the 2023/2024 financial year, a total of 319 cases were lodged, while in the 2024/2025 financial year, 398 cases were lodged.
The National Employment Authority (NEA) Director General Edith Okoki told the Diaspora Affairs and Migrant Workers committee, that a majority of the reported disputes relate to the delays and refusal to remove a prospective migrant worker from a Musaned by an agent to deny him the chance of travelling with an agency of his own choice.
Musaned is a web-based system developed and managed by the government of Saudi Arabia for the recruitment of Domestic Workers.
“The authority receives disputes relating to different issues. The majority of the disputes are those lodged against Private Employment Agencies by job seekers. During the past two years, NEA has received a total of 717 complaints/disputes,” she said.
Out of the 319 cases lodged in 2023/2024, 144 related to delay in removal from Musaned, 45 related to Private Employment Agencies (PEAs), 28 related to unpaid salaries, 54 related to overstay, 25 related to runaway, 16 related to confiscation, while seven relate to change of house.
With regards to the 398 cases lodged in 2024/2025 165 cases relate to the removal from Musaned, 50 cases relate to confiscation of documents, 96 relate to a refund from PEAs, 56 relate to run away, 23 cases relate to overstay/ repatriation, five relate to unpaid salaries and three related to change of house.
Okoki made the remarks even as she revealed a total of 32 recruitment agencies had been de-registered by the government following increased cases of malpractice by the entities meant to facilitate Kenyan job seekers’ travel abroad.
The number is an increase from the last 20 institutions that had been blacklisted last year following the malpractices.
The de-registered firms include Gulfway Recruitment Company Ltd, Royal Capital Placement Ltd, Geoverah Africa Safaris Ltd, Geoverah Agency Limited, First Choice Recruitment and Consultancy Ltd, Daawo Holdings Ltd, Makungu International Ltd, Talent Gateway Ltd, Royal Capital Placement, Gifted Minds Tours Travel Ltd, Tangofox Ltd, Alemtyaz Travel Agent Ltd, Rhodevo International Ltd, Flexturch Recruitment Ltd, Omran Aly Agencies Ltd, Alsari International Ltd, Leisamis Recruiters Ltd and Skyward Global Dimensions Ltd.