Labour Ministry receives 84 complaints in Sh17m fraud by fake overseas job agents
Most complaints involved people who paid for jobs abroad but never travelled, were denied refunds, or had their passports unlawfully withheld.
The Ministry of Labour has begun receiving dozens of complaints from Kenyans defrauded by fake overseas job agents, following the launch of a crackdown by the Labour Mobility Multi-Agency Response Team earlier this week.
In a statement, Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua announced that 84 formal complaints had so far been received from 15 counties across the country, with victims reporting losses amounting to Sh17.3 million.
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Most complaints involved people who paid for jobs abroad but never travelled, were denied refunds, or had their passports unlawfully withheld.
“Many of the victims report that their passports have been unlawfully withheld for over a year, effectively denying them both opportunity and dignity,” said Dr Mutua.
The Ministry noted that preliminary analysis indicated the entities involved were largely unlicensed, unregistered, deregistered, non-compliant with labour migration regulations, or not tax compliant.
“In other words, these are illegal entities masquerading as legitimate labour recruiters,” the CS explained.
Dr Mutua also revealed that 62 of the companies named in the complaints were travel agencies.
“Let me be clear: travel agencies are not licensed to conduct labour recruitment,” he emphasised, adding that such recruitment requires formal accreditation from the Ministry of Labour through the National Employment Authority (NEA).
The Ministry has now directed the individuals and companies named in the complaints to report to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) at the Multi-Agency Taskforce Office, NSSF Building, Block C, 7th Floor, by Monday, 21 July 2025, at 2 pm.
Failure to appear, the Ministry warned, would result in coercive measures and legal action. They have also been ordered to surrender any passports belonging to the complainants that remain in their possession.
“All individuals and companies summoned must present any passports in their possession belonging to complainants during their appearance at the NSSF offices,” the statement added.
The Cabinet Secretary further urged more affected Kenyans to come forward. Those within Nairobi should visit the NSSF Building with supporting documents between 9 am and 1 pm on weekdays.
Those outside Nairobi can call the Ministry’s toll-free number, 0800 222 223, to file complaints remotely.
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