Senate grills Mudavadi over trafficking crisis
By Emmanuel Rono, May 7, 2026The Senate Labour and Social Welfare Committee has raised alarm over the growing exploitation of Kenyan workers abroad, pressing government officials on trafficking syndicates, fraudulent recruitment agencies, and the increasing number of Kenyans drawn into foreign conflicts and cybercrime networks.
Appearing before the committee at Bunge Towers on Thursday, May 7, 2026, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi detailed what he termed a rapidly evolving trafficking crisis spanning the Gulf region, Southeast Asia, and war zones in Eastern Europe.
According to a statement by the Parliament of Kenya, Mudavadi told Senators that the so-called Golden Triangle spanning Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand had become a major hub for trafficking and cyber-enabled crime targeting young Kenyans seeking work abroad.
Data revealed by Mudavadi
He said hundreds of Kenyans had been rescued in recent years, with several still detained or facing criminal charges abroad over immigration violations and cybercrime-related offences.
He further revealed that Kenyan nationals had also been lured into conflict zones, including recruitment into Russian special forces amid the Ukraine war. According to the data presented, dozens remain unaccounted for, while others have been repatriated or confirmed dead.
“Between 2022 and 2026, 751 Kenyans had been rescued from Myanmar, with 615 repatriated. Thirty-nine remain jailed over illegal entry and cybercrime offences, while about 97 others are being held in immigration detention centres in Thailand awaiting deportation,” Parliament of Kenya stated.
“In Cambodia, 406 Kenyans were rescued between January and April this year, with 305 already returned home. Laos has repatriated 29 Kenyans to date, while 14 Kenyans are imprisoned in Thailand for using forged immigration stamps allegedly supplied by traffickers.”
Deaths reported
Mudavadi also confirmed deaths linked to the scam compounds.
“Over time, three Kenyans have reportedly lost their lives in the scam compounds due to illness, while one expectant lady passed on after the scammers attempted to forcefully terminate the pregnancy,” he said.
The committee also heard that 162 Kenyans had been smuggled to Qatar by what Mudavadi termed “unscrupulous individuals” operating in Kenya and Qatar, with investigations now before the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.
Particular concern centred on Kenyans recruited into the Russian special forces amid the war in Ukraine. Mudavadi said the government had documented 291 reported cases and repatriated 53 Kenyans from Russia.
Nineteen Kenyans are believed to have died, 32 are missing in action, and two are currently being held as prisoners of war in Ukraine.
Mudavadi revealed that a Kenyan delegation which travelled to Moscow in March had secured commitments from Russian authorities to halt further recruitment of Kenyans into military operations.
“One, that there should be no more enlisting of Kenyans to the special military forces of the Russian Federation,” he said.
Use of social media
The committee heard that traffickers were increasingly using social media platforms and online job adverts to lure victims with promises of high-paying jobs in IT, cryptocurrency trading, and customer service roles abroad, only for many to end up trapped in scam compounds forced into online fraud schemes.
Diaspora Affairs Principal Secretary Roseline Njogu told Senators that the government had stepped up enforcement measures, including deregistering over 600 recruitment agencies and pursuing 87 ongoing prosecutions linked to trafficking and illegal labour export.
Sen Miraj Abdullahi challenged the effectiveness of public awareness campaigns aimed at warning young people against fraudulent recruiters.
Njogu maintained that sensitisation drives were ongoing in TVET institutions, universities and county town halls, including a recent forum at Bandari College in the coast.
The Senators and government officials agreed that the crisis extends beyond foreign labour migration, reflecting deeper economic pressures at home. Lawmakers warned that unless local job creation is prioritised, vulnerable youth will continue to fall prey to trafficking networks despite ongoing government crackdowns.