The new Cabinet Secretary for Labour and Social Protection, Alfred Mutua, has vowed to crack down on fraudulent recruitment agencies.
Announcing this in his first major policy stance since taking office, Mutua declared that the government would seize and auction properties of agencies accused of scamming Kenyans with promises of foreign jobs.
Mutua’s warning came during a ceremony sending off 350 seasonal workers to the United Kingdom on Friday, August 9.
He issued a stern ultimatum to illegal recruitment agencies, demanding they shut down and leave the country within a week. “There are many young people who have been conned of their money. We are going to make sure people who are involved are arrested, locked in jail and we grab their assets and give money to people who were conned,” declared Mutua.
“I want to give notice to rogue agents that your time is gone,” asserted Mutua. He went on to add, “I give you one week to pack and move away from Kenya.”
The Labour Minister’s strong rhetoric comes at a time when there have been growing calls for the government to act amid increased frustration with the recruitment sector, which has been plagued by numerous scandals.
A recent investigation by the National Employment Authority (NEA) revealed that more than 400 of the 1029 registered recruitment agencies are operating without valid permits. This breach of regulations is particularly concerning in Eldoret, where many agencies are either unregistered or operating with expired permits.
Mutua’s crackdown aims to address the mounting complaints from thousands of Kenyans who have been duped by these agencies.
One notable case involved a televangelist accused of defrauding Ksh600 million from over 4,000 jobseekers. These individuals had paid between Ksh100,000 and Ksh140,000 each for promised jobs in countries like the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia, only to find themselves scammed.
The problems with recruitment agencies are not new. Two years ago, one recruitment agency faced backlash after failing to provide promised World Cup jobs in Qatar.
The Senate Committee on Labour and Social Welfare directed the agency to refund Ksh1 billion, a resolution still pending.
In another case, the County Government of Uasin Gishu is under scrutiny following a botched education scholarship programme. Affected students have sued local leaders, including Governor Jonathan Bii and Senator Jackson Mandago, in the Small Claims Court.
Source: kENYANS.CO.KE