Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) have arrested two individuals in connection with a Ksh20 million foreign jobs fraud that targeted Kenyans hoping to work abroad. Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua confirmed the arrests, praising the DCI for tracking down the suspects.
Cracks Down on Foreign Jobs Fraud
The two suspects, a husband and wife, were apprehended on Wednesday, January 21, after allegedly swindling unsuspecting Kenyans in a foreign jobs fraud scheme linked to the government’s overseas employment program.
Labour CS Alfred Mutua said the arrests came after repeated summonses to the suspects went ignored. “I wish to commend the DCI for arresting the suspected masterminds behind the defrauding of innocent Kenyans who were recruited for jobs abroad,” Mutua stated.
“Despite my press statement directing them to present themselves to the police after being summoned, the DCI successfully tracked and apprehended the suspects, who are the husband and his wife,” he added.
The suspects are now in custody and will be processed in court, with the CS urging investigators to expedite the case and ensure all victims receive justice. Mutua also reassured the public that the government’s overseas job initiatives remain on course. “We are committed to rooting out rogue agents who take advantage of Kenyans’ desperation for employment abroad,” he said.
The arrests follow the CS’s public plea on January 20, during which he revealed that over 116 agent companies were under investigation for foreign jobs fraud. Many applicants have reported being asked to pay hefty sums by agencies claiming links to government programs for passport processing and visa arrangements.
Reports indicate that the ministry’s task force has completed investigations into over 15 cases and referred them for action. The government has emphasized vigilance, urging Kenyans to confirm that any recruitment agency is registered with the National Employment Authority (NEA) before making payments.
Over the past four years, 538,000 Kenyans have travelled abroad through the official overseas job program, with numbers expected to reach one million within the next 12 months. Officials warn that foreign jobs fraud continues to be a risk and call on the public to report suspicious agencies.
