Kenya deregisters 680 rogue job agencies in crackdown on fake overseas recruiters
The government’s crackdown follows viral protests and growing outrage from young Kenyans conned out of millions.
The Kenyan government has deregistered 680 recruitment agencies nationwide for violating labour regulations, in a sweeping effort to protect citizens from fraudulent overseas job schemes.
The move, announced by the Ministry of Labour, follows investigations that found many of the firms were operating without valid licences, exposing job seekers to abuse and financial loss.
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The crackdown was prompted by a viral video in July showing angry youth from the Coast region protesting after falling victim to fake recruiters.
Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua said the Multi-Agency Labour Mobility Taskforce has received at least 100 formal complaints from victims across 15 counties, who collectively lost more than Sh17.3 million to con artists promising lucrative jobs abroad.
“Most of the victims coming to us were promised well-paying jobs overseas, only to be left devastated, broke, and in some cases stranded without travel documents,” Mutua said.
Face arrest
He warned that rogue recruitment agents and their accomplices would face arrest, prosecution, and deregistration, emphasising the government’s commitment to safeguarding Kenyans seeking work abroad.
To strengthen oversight, the ministry has established a one-stop centre to handle complaints and coordinate agencies involved in labour migration.
Investigations revealed elaborate scams mainly targeting young people, who were promised high-paying jobs in countries such as Canada, Qatar, Australia, and Germany.
After paying processing fees running into tens of thousands of shillings, many victims were left stranded when the agents disappeared.
President William Ruto, speaking to the Kenyan diaspora in Doha, Qatar, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to structured and safe labour migration.
“The deregistration of rogue recruiters is part of broader reforms to protect our migrant workers. We are ensuring deployment only to countries with formal bilateral agreements that safeguard our workers while expanding access to dignified and well-paying opportunities abroad,” he said.
Mutua also cautioned Kenyans against travelling on tourist visas for work or using unverified operators, stressing that only agencies accredited by the National Employment Authority (NEA) are legally authorised to recruit.
Private recruitment agencies have welcomed the crackdown.
Mwalimu Mwaguzo, national chairman of private recruiters, noted that many of the deregistered firms had failed to renew their licences yet continued operating, violating rules designed to protect workers.
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