The government has intensified its crackdown on rogue recruitment agencies operating against the law, flagging 26 firms for failing to comply with the National Employment Authority (NEA) regulations.
These agencies are accused of preying on job seekers with false promises of employment opportunities abroad.
Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua, while addressing the issue, warned the public to steer clear of the unregistered firms, urging Kenyans to thoroughly vet any agency before engaging with them.
He emphasised that these companies are not authorised to recruit for either the local or foreign labour markets.
The Ministry of Labour and Social Protection's latest move follows an investigation conducted in collaboration with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and NEA. This effort revealed widespread unethical recruitment practices by firms not registered with NEA, with several Kenyans falling victim to employment scandals.
This development comes on the heels of an earlier warning issued just two months ago when 16 other recruitment agencies were blacklisted following complaints that hundreds of jobseekers had lost millions of shillings in scandals, particularly in Eldoret. Many Kenyans were lured into fraudulent overseas job offers, only to be abandoned once they reached their destinations.
Labour Principal Secretary Shadrack Mwadime reiterated the government’s resolve to combat the menace, noting that ongoing investigations are uncovering more unethical practices in the recruitment sector. The partnership between the Ministry, NEA, DCI, and the police aims to clamp down on such rogue operations and protect Kenyans from further exploitation.
"The Ministry, in collaboration with the National Employment Authority (NEA), the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the police have conducted preliminary investigations which have revealed that the unethical recruitments are being carried out by unscrupulous agencies that are not registered by NEA as per the law,” he stated.
With unemployment rates in the country remaining high, recruitment agencies have been under scrutiny for exploiting desperate jobseekers. The Ministry's warning serves as a stark reminder that all agencies operating within Kenya must be registered and fully compliant with the law.
Kenyan jobseekers are being urged to remain vigilant, especially when dealing with agencies that offer opportunities abroad. The Ministry advised that a full list of registered recruitment agencies is available on the NEA website and that due diligence should be conducted before any payments or agreements are made.
