The government has launched a multi-agency task force to crack down on fraudulent recruitment agencies. The initiative, spearheaded by Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua, comes amid growing concerns over the rising number of scams targeting desperate jobseekers with false promises of overseas employment.
Labour migration is a key priority for the Kenya Kwanza administration. However, unscrupulous individuals and agencies have exploited this initiative, swindling victims out of thousands of shillings without delivering promised jobs.
Speaking on Thursday, CS Mutua said the task force comprises representatives from multiple state agencies, including the Ministry of Labour, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), the Attorney General’s Office, the Financial Reporting Centre, the Asset Recovery Agency, and the State Department for Diaspora Affairs, among others.
Operating from the NSSF Building in Upper Hill, Nairobi, the team has been mandated to investigate, prosecute, and eliminate rogue agencies swiftly and efficiently. Mutua emphasized that the collaboration between agencies aims to harmonize investigations and end the bureaucratic delays that have long allowed perpetrators to evade justice.
“We are engaging the Judiciary to fast-track labour fraud cases and ensure justice is served. The days of files disappearing in slow-moving offices are over,” Mutua declared.
Victims who paid for jobs abroad but failed to secure placements especially those who have waited for six months or more without refunds are encouraged to report to the task force from Thursday, July 17, with supporting documents.
The CS defended the government’s labour migration programme, calling it a solid strategy to create structured and safe pathways for Kenyans to work abroad.
His remarks followed emotional testimonies from victims who appeared before the Senate Labour and Social Welfare Committee. They revealed having paid between Sh50,000 and Sh100,000 to agencies for jobs in Qatar and Saudi Arabia but are yet to receive visas or employment offers.
Despite the Labour Ministry blacklisting over 500 rogue agencies in November 2023, the scam persists. Committee vice-chairperson Crystal Asige criticized the National Employment Authority (NEA) for its failure to deregister fraudulent agencies, urging urgent reforms to protect jobseekers.
