The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has raised concern over a surge in fake job advertisements circulating online, warning job seekers to stay alert as the country prepares for upcoming by-elections.
In a notice issued on May 5, the commission said it had identified at least four fraudulent recruitment notices falsely claiming to offer employment opportunities with IEBC.
The adverts, widely shared on social media, purport to recruit polling officials and other election staff. However, IEBC clarified that the notices are not genuine and did not originate from the commission.
In addition, Kenyans have been cautioned by IEBC not to trust any job ads that are published by con artists via social media. Instead, they are encouraged to visit the official websites of IEBC for more authentic information.
From IEBC’s perspective, the fraudulent job adverts apply deceptive ways of luring unsuspecting victims to job positions in the form of unofficial application sites.
IEBC is advising Kenyans to stay away from these sites as they could potentially lead to fraudulent activities against applicants or misappropriation of their personal data.
The commission further advised Kenyans to ignore the fake job openings and apply for positions through its recruitment site and other official channels.
The alert comes at a time when the IEBC is preparing for several by-elections scheduled for next month and in July.
Residents of Emurua Dikirr constituency in Narok county, Porro ward in Samburu county, and Endo ward in Elgeyo-Marakwet county will vote on May 14th while those of Ol Kalou constituency in Nyandarua county will do so on July 16th.
According to IEBC, the voting stations will run from 6am to 5pm, noting that if there are any delays when voting begins, this will be compensated for, and anyone who is on the queue by closing time will be allowed to vote.
With the election process ongoing, IEBC is now advising the general public to exercise caution on social media and to validate employment offers before applying.