The government has banned at least 400 rogue overseas job recruitment agencies implicated in scamming Kenyans or sending them to non-existent jobs abroad.
In what state officials describe as one of the most aggressive crackdowns on fraudulent labour agents in recent years, the National Employment Authority (NEA) Chairman Vincent Kigen said the authority is working closely with other state security agencies to track down and shut the illegal operators.
Kigen said the operation involves the police, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), and other multi-agency teams.
“They have nowhere to hide. We have closed shop for many of them. The clean-up aims to protect thousands of Kenyans seeking opportunities beyond the country’s borders,” he said.
The Chairman urged job seekers only to engage agencies licensed and registered by the NEA, noting that verified firms make it easier for the government to trace and monitor the welfare of Kenyan migrant workers.
“That is how we will be able to trace Kenyans who are working abroad and monitor their welfare—unlike individuals who use tourist visas and end up being stuck. It becomes very difficult to trace them when challenges arise,” he said.
Kigen revealed that the government has intensified the signing of bilateral labour agreements with countries that absorb Kenyan workers. He said these agreements offer a strong framework for safeguarding the rights and welfare of migrant labourers.
“The agreements spell out the terms of engagement for Kenyans working in those countries,” he said.
At the same time, Kigen announced that diaspora remittances from Kenyan workers abroad—under the programme launched by the Kenya Kwanza administration—have so far hit Sh400 million, underscoring the growing economic contribution of labour migration.
