The Senate Labour Committee has summoned Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua and officials from the National Employment Authority (NEA) to address concerns over alleged fraud in the recruitment of Kenyans for diaspora jobs.
This comes after claims that recruitment agencies accredited by NEA defrauded hundreds of job seekers, with some losing large sums of money.
The investigations focus on the ‘Kazi Majuu’ project, which has been marred by reports that more than 300 Kenyans were tricked into paying illegal facilitation fees. The committee, chaired by Kajiado Senator Lenku Seki, has vowed to hold the Ministry of Labour accountable and ensure victims either recover their funds or are placed in legitimate jobs.
“The committee will follow up on the loss of funds. The Ministry of Labour will be summoned to ensure justice is served — either the victims recover their money or they are given jobs,” said Senator Seki.
Facilitation Fees and Fraud Allegations
According to revelations presented before the committee, victims of the fraud were coerced into paying up to Sh55,000 in facilitation fees for medical check-ups, visa processing, and certificates of good conduct before departing for work abroad.
The recruitment drive, which took place in December 2024 in Kabete, targeted job seekers in various sectors including carpentry, driving, and masonry.
Nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba raised concerns about the fees, which were initially pitched as part of a standard procedure for employment abroad. Applicants were first asked to pay Sh15,000 for medical exams, but soon after, additional fees for visa processing and other paperwork were demanded.
One of the victims, Calvin Nyamweya, shared his experience during the committee session. Nyamweya, who had applied for a job in Qatar, expressed shock when he was asked for additional payments despite prior assurances from the Ministry of Labour that the recruitment exercise would be free.
“CS Mutua announced the jobs and the recruitment drive was happening at KICC. We did interviews, and those who qualified left their passports. We were later called back to KICC and told to pay Sh20,000 for the medical check-up,” Nyamweya explained.
Unanswered Calls and Frustration
Other victims like Godfrey Githae, a carpenter, recounted their struggles in recovering the money they had paid. Githae described multiple visits to the offices of the implicated agencies, only to be ignored. He also noted that emails requesting refunds went unanswered, leaving him and other victims in a state of financial distress.
“I have gone to the offices of these agencies eight times, and every time they ignored me. I have even written emails which went unanswered. All the money I paid was borrowed, and now the lenders are on my neck,” Githae said.
The Senate committee has been presented with evidence implicating several agencies accredited by the NEA. Among those named in the scandal are Marlows Smart Hires, Isbury Business Solutions Limited, and Muniza Limited, all of which are accused of exploiting hopeful job seekers.
Call for Disbandment of NEA
Senators are now calling for the disbandment of the NEA, accusing the authority of failing to protect Kenyans from fraudulent recruitment agencies. Senator Orwoba went further, alleging that CS Mutua had colluded with the agencies, pointing to an affidavit signed by him used to sue her in relation to the scandal.
“This National Employment Authority is a total failure. Where were they when all this was happening? Interestingly, some of the agencies have sued me using an affidavit signed by CS Mutua,” she claimed.
Nominated Senator Abdulrahman Miraj also expressed his concerns, questioning the government’s role in misleading citizens about the nature of diaspora job opportunities. He insisted that had NEA been disbanded earlier, such issues could have been avoided.
“We had called for the disbandment of NEA. If it had been disbanded, we would not be facing these issues today. Why would the government announce free jobs, only for people to end up paying and still have no jobs in the end?” Senator Miraj said.
