Victims of overseas job fraud asked to come forward as gov't cracks down job scammers

Senate Labour Committee in session as members grill recruitment agencies over overseas job scams and chart urgent reforms to protect Kenyan job seekers abroad.

In a bold and long-overdue move, the Senate Labour Committee has issued sweeping resolutions to rein in fraudulent recruitment agencies and offer urgent relief to the growing number of Kenyan job seekers who have been duped, defrauded, and in some tragic cases, lost their lives while chasing promised opportunities.

The Committee, led by Vice Chair Senator Crystal Asige, issued a series of urgent resolutions aimed at dismantling the growing network of rogue agencies and restoring trust in Kenya’s labour export system. 

The emotional session, marked by distressing accounts from victims and their families, painted a grim picture of desperation exploited for profit, with many job seekers selling land, taking loans or emptying their savings only to be abandoned in foreign countries or blocked from leaving altogether.

“Behind every delayed visa is a deferred dream. We are not dealing with numbers, we are dealing with lives,” said Senator Asige, whose remarks echoed the deep concern within the Committee. 

In one of the most sweeping directives to date, recruitment agencies are now required to submit full lists of successful, unsuccessful and pending job seekers within 21 days of selection. Notably, agencies such as Global Face, which has been implicated in multiple fraud complaints, have been ordered to refund victims in full and produce all supporting financial documentation.

The National Employment Authority (NEA) has been instructed to immediately draft regulatory reforms that include tighter licensing procedures, stiffer penalties and mandatory cash bond requirements for all agencies.

In a bid to stem further exploitation, the Committee directed NEA to roll out public awareness campaigns using vernacular radio stations and grassroots forums such as churches and chief’s barazas to educate citizens on safe and legal migration processes.

To enhance accountability and victim support, a fully operational one-stop complaint center has been opened at the NSSF Building, Block C, 7th Floor. The center will run from 8:00am to 5:00pm on weekdays and brings together officers from NEA, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the Ministry of Labour and the Department of Immigration to fast-track responses to complaints.

In the same sitting, the Senate ordered the immediate deregistration of all non-compliant or rogue recruitment agencies and pledged to support prosecution efforts for those found guilty of exploiting job seekers.

The outcry comes amid a rising wave of disturbing reports from Kenyans who have been misled into taking jobs abroad, only to face inhumane working conditions, physical abuse, withheld pay and psychological trauma. Some have returned injured, others scarred for life and several have not returned at all.

Joining Senator Asige in the session were Senator (Rtd) Justice Stewart Madzayo (Kilifi County), Senator Seki Lenku Ole Kanar (Kajiado County), Senator Miraj Abdillahi Abdillahi (Nominated), Senator Beth Wambui Syengo (Nominated) and Senator Alexander Mundigi (Embu County), who attended virtually.

The Committee emphasised that these reforms mark just the beginning of a long journey to protect Kenyans seeking a better future through legal migration.

“We must bring dignity back to labour migration. The era of preying on the desperate is over,” Senator Asige concluded.

Members of the public who have fallen victim to fraudulent agencies are encouraged to visit the NSSF complaint center or contact NEA directly. The Senate has also committed to monthly follow-ups on the implementation of these resolutions to ensure no victim is forgotten and no fraudster escapes justice.