A total of 84 complaints, spanning 15 counties, have been submitted just two days following the government's official initiation of a campaign against unscrupulous job agents and fraudulent overseas recruiters.
The Labour Cabinet Secretary, Alfred Mutua, stated that the cases include Kenyans who were deceived into losing a total of Sh17.3 million through individuals and companies that falsely promised job opportunities overseas.
Several of the victims stated that their passports were illegally held back, in certain instances for more than a year, which significantly hindered their ability to travel and breached their rights.
"Most of these complaints target organizations that are either not licensed, not registered, have been deregistered, or are not following labor migration regulations," Mutua stated.
Surprisingly, 62 of the companies listed are travel agencies, which do not have a legal obligation to hire for overseas jobs, he stated.
According to the CS, travel agencies are not authorized to carry out employment recruitment.
"It is against the law for them to do this without valid certification from the Ministry of Labour via the National Employment Authority (NEA)," he said.
Mutua revealed that all companies and individuals mentioned in the complaints have been ordered to appear before the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) at the Multi-Agency Taskforce Office located in the NSSF Building, Block C, 7th Floor, by Monday, July 21, at 2 p.m.
"Failure to attend will lead to enforcement actions and legal proceedings," he stated.
They have also been instructed to hand over all passports they hold that belong to the affected complainants.
Mutua also stated that several previous fraud cases which had been stalled during the investigation phase are now being handled and have been sent to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
Detentions and legal actions will start right away as part of renewed initiatives to purify the industry, he said.
In a statement addressed to those affected, the CS advised Kenyans who have paid for overseas employment opportunities but did not proceed or get their money back to visit the NSSF Building in Nairobi with necessary paperwork, or contact the free hotline 0800 222 223 if located outside the city.
The information desks are available from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM on weekdays.
Although criticizing the rogue agents, Mutua highlighted that the majority of Kenya's authorized recruitment agencies still function within the law.
"Over 400,000 Kenyans have obtained employment overseas via legal means in just the past two years, with under 1,000 complaints submitted, which is less than 0.25% of total placements," he stated.
We aim to increase the percentage to 100% safety.
The CS also encouraged job applicants to consistently check recruiters through the NEA website (neaims.go.ke), demand verified contracts, and refrain from using tourist visas for employment-related travel.
"The administration, led by President William Ruto, is dedicated to ensuring safe, respectful, and lawful labor migration. We will not stop until all Kenyans are safeguarded and honored," he stated.
He delivered the statement accompanied by important officials, such as Labour Principal Secretary Shadrack Mwadime, Attorney General Dorcas Oduor, DCI Director Mohammed Amin, Secretary of Public Prosecutions Alloys Kemo, and the Director of the NEA's Lab.our Migration Joseph Njue.
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