Kenya's ambassadorial nominee to Thailand Lucy Kiruthu proposes using financial tools to curb human trafficking

Nominee for the position of Kenya’s Ambassador to Bangkok, Thailand, Lucy Kiruthu has proposed using financial tracking tools from agencies such as the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK), the Financial Reporting Centre (FRC), and Safaricom to trace funds handled by rogue recruitment agencies exploiting Kenyan job seekers.

Speaking before the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations during her vetting, Kiruthu said the move would help choke the operations of traffickers and protect citizens from forced labour abroad.

“This will help choke the system and assist in the arrest of human traffickers,” she said.

Kiruthu emphasised that traffickers were targeting job seekers with online scams, urging security agencies to act before victims leave the country.

She specifically challenged the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the National Intelligence Service (NIS) to monitor fake recruitment websites and dismantle human trafficking networks.

“The issue of human trafficking is a moral, legal, as well as humanitarian imperative. I will employ different strategies to protect Kenyans trapped in Myanmar or other Asian countries,” she said.

“The best way out is to prevent Kenyans from the source here in Kenya. The Labour Ministry, DCI and NIS must prevent Kenyans from travelling without papers or confirmed jobs.”

The nominee also called on the Inter-Ministerial Team on Human Trafficking, which includes the Ministries of Labour and Diaspora Affairs, the DCI, and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, to intensify efforts against fraudulent recruitment agencies.

“We need to arrest the situation here in Kenya before our people are lured. Let security agencies do the right thing and crack down on human traffickers before they take our people to Myanmar shelters for use as scammers,” she said.

Kiruthu added that Kenya and Thailand, both members of the UN Human Rights Council, could leverage their positions to push for stronger international action against trafficking. She also urged invoking the UN Convention on Human Rights on Human Trafficking to enlist global support.

She further called for awareness campaigns targeting youth and their families before they travel to Thailand or Myanmar.

“We must prevent Kenyans from being lured into imaginary jobs, and we need to raise awareness among the youth. We must also deal with recruitment agencies that advertise false jobs. Prosecute the rogue recruiters and work with governments to rescue and repatriate Kenyans who have been trafficked,” she told the committee.

Her remarks come amid recent government efforts to secure the release of Kenyans trafficked to Myanmar. In February, the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs negotiated the release of 23 Kenyans from the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), who were handed over to the Royal Thai Army. Last week, 64 more Kenyans were freed from scamming shelters alongside thousands of other foreign nationals by armed groups in Myanmar.

Kiruthu, who currently serves as Acting Director General of Political and Diplomatic Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, previously held the post of Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva.

The committee also questioned her on trade and investment strategies, in case she was approved. Gilgil MP Martha Wangari asked how she would address trade imbalances and strengthen economic ties with Thailand.

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Kiruthu said she would prioritise economic diplomacy to diversify trade and attract investment.

“I will push to honour economic diplomacy. I will push to diversify by working with organisations that matter, such as the Kenya Private Sector Alliance and the Kenya Association of Manufacturers. I will seek to increase market access for our Kenyan foods, for example, coffee, which we already sell to Thailand in small quantities,” she said.

“If approved, I will seek to diversify our products and include others we are not selling in Thailand. I will also work with relevant institutions to increase Foreign Direct Investment. Thailand is strategically positioned as a gateway to the ASEAN region, a market of 670 million people with a GDP of USD 3.6 trillion. We should use Thailand to export goods and attract funds from the bigger Asian region.”