Job seekers conned in Kitale

By Osinde Obare

A man conned 10 job seekers of Sh400,000 along the corridors of the Trans-Nzoia West District Commissioner’s tightly guarded office in Kitale.

The DC, Wilfred Kinyua narrated the shocking one-man bogus recruitment exercise conducted by the individual masquerading as the provincial works officer. He has since issued a warning to the public that conmen are on the rise in the area.

Members of the public were amused that the conman tricked the job seekers for an interview at the DC’s corridors despite high movement of civil servants and armed Administration Policemen (AP).

Each of the unsuspecting candidates gave out Sh25,000 for employment and additional Sh12,000 for housing at the former District headquarters buildings which house the DC’s office.

Making the revelation, the DC explained how the job seekers were lured and parted with the cash to the imposter before being issued with appointment letters.

"After the interviews, the job seekers were issued with appointment and shown the old building of my offices they were to use as rental houses for three months,’ narrated the DC.

Trouble erupted when the job seekers reported to their respective stations at Trans-Nzoia West, Kwanza and Trans-Nzoia East districts to take up the new posts.

"It is unbelievable that the conman had the guts to conduct the bogus recruitment just within our administration premises despite heavy presence of the armed officers," exclaimed the DC.

The DC spoke when he officially opened a four-day training in Kitale for farmers organized by the SCCI-VI agro-forestry, a Swedish NGO involved in empowering farmers.

Urging the public to be on the look out for masqueraders out to swindle them money on pretence that they would offer them government jobs, the DC said police had launched investigations into the incident.

"It was embarrassing that some parents had escorted their children to report only to be told they had been conned," said the DC.

At the same time, the DC has also asked residents not to fall victims of a land resettlement syndicate in the area.

He said some unscrupulous individuals were collecting money from the landless people promising land in Nyandarua district.

Kinyua said there is no resettlement programme for squatters and asked the public to shy away from quick fix schemes.