Hundreds of unsuspecting Kenyans are being fleeced of billions of shillings by rogue agencies that offer false promises of well-paying jobs overseas, it has emerged.
MPs heard that rogue recruitment agencies are charging desperate Kenyans, mainly youth, upwards of Sh700,000 for jobs, only to vanish into thin air.
In one instance, the MPs on the National Assembly’s Diaspora Affairs and Migrant Workers Committee were told how a notorious Coast-based agency obtained millions of shillings from 400 youths for alleged jobs in Qatar, only to renege on its promise.
Several government departments and agencies, including the National Youth Service, have also started recruiting Kenyans for overseas jobs.
NIS advice
Appearing before committee, a representative of the National Employment Authority (NEA) said it had deregistered 20 recruitment agencies for swindling innocent Kenyans of their hard-earned money.
The agency took the action on the advice of the National Intelligence Service, which said they were not authorised to operate in Kenya, said NEA Director General Edith Okoki.
But some of the deregistered firms continued operating clandestinely, fleecing jobseekers of millions of shillings for non-existent jobs, Okoki said.
As a result, NEA was unable to establish the exact number of Kenyans working overseas because many players are involved in the sector.
Said Okoki: “But the last two years have also not been easy for us, because they felt we are being hard on them and some of the measures that we had put in place were being challenged by the agencies.
“So it was making our work a bit difficult, because the same people who we were having issues with have access to some very high offices.”
She added: “[We took action against] the 20 agencies we have deregistered … because we have received complaints from the public about their dealings. We have tried to resolve them but due to the issues of malpractices, we deregistered them.
“The other reason … we have deregistered them is [that] we get direct instructions from NIS. Once this is done, even with an appeal we do not rescind this decision.”
Deregistered firms
The deregistered firms include Gulfway Recruitment Company Ltd, Royal Capital Placement Ltd, Geoverah Africa Safaris Ltd, First Choice Recruitment and Consultancy Ltd, Geoverah Agency Ltd, Daawo Holdings Ltd, Makungu International Ltd, Talent Gateway Ltd, Jakartya Ventures Ltd and Skill Dove Ltd.
Others are 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.
MPs heard that Mombasa-based Alhadhramy and Mahla Agencies, associated with one Fatma Ramadhan, collected millions of shillings from over 400 Kenyans promising to facilitate their travel to Qatar.
But 51 of the jobseekers never travelled to Qatar even after paying Sh50,000 each to the agency as “facilitation” fee, the MPs heard.
Consequently, NEA had to intervene and compel the agency to refund about Sh30,000 each of the jobseekers paid, although they had requested compensation of between Sh40,000 and Sh50,000, Okoki said.
She said: “NEA took up the matter for further investigations and incorporated the Kenya Association of Private Agencies coast disciplinary committee.
“Investigations … revealed that 51 youths did not travel to work in Qatar as promised by the agency. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations in Mombasa took up the case and an agreement was reached to [for the agency to] refund the money of the affected youths.”
She added: “The agency, after reviewing the situation, offered Sh30,000 to each client, considering the expenses already incurred during the facilitation process. This counter-offer led to the dispute between the clients and the agency.”
Previous misconduct
Okoki also said that Eldoret-based First Choice Recruitment and Consultancy Ltd, associated with one Judy Jepchirchir, had quietly tried to open a company called Royal Capital Placement but was denied a certificate based on their previous misconduct.
“Uasin Gishu has a lot of problems at the moment, because these agencies said they were taking people for education, not to work,”Okoki said:
Over 8,000 youths in Uasin Gishu were promised jobs during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and paid between Sh 40,000 and Sh200,000 to the company.
This prompted the Senate Committee on Labour and Social Welfare to direct the agency to refund a total of Sh1 billion it had obtained from the unsuspecting youths.
MPs demanded that NEA take action against all the rogue agencies involved in offering fake jobs.
Committee chairperson Lydia Haika (Taita Taveta woman rep), who sought to know the reason the 20 companies were deregistered, said Kenyans should be protected from exploitation.
“Can you elaborate on these 20 agencies that you say were deregistered. Why exactly were they revoked?” posed Haika.
‘No confidence’
Vice chairperson Simon Kingara (Ruiru) also cast doubt on the government’s ability to rein in rogue agencies.
Kingara said: “Diaspora matters can be an economic enabler. My concern, however, is how proactive the department is … There is no confidence in the Authority for people to invest and go out [of the country].”
Only last week, detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations arrested seven suspects linked to fraudulent overseas job recruitment schemes operating in Eldoret and its environs.
Uasin Gishu County Police Commander Benjamin Mwanthi said the arrest followed a tip from the public who had lost money to the rogue agencies.
Detectives were shocked to learn that scores of unsuspecting job seekers were still lining up at the offices of some rogue agents with promises of foreign employment.
This is after they had parted with millions of shillings, unbeknown to them that most of the recruitment agencies were not registered with NEA to operate in Kenya.
