The Kenyan Government, through Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA) on Wednesday, April 26, warned Kenyans against mass recruitment advertised for international shipping lines.
KMA, in a public notice, was concerned that Kenyans were being dupped to apply for global positions.
The Authority further cautioned Kenyans from being conned of their hard-earned cash in the name of agency fees.
“It has come to the notice and attention of the Authority that a certain cadre of unknown fraudulent unlicensed and unregistered persons have started fraudulently advertising by way of the internet and social media (Twitter, WhatsApp, Facebook and other means).
“The recruiters are holding themselves out as recruitment and placement agents for various international shipping lines while not following the laid down legal provisions for licensing and registration,” KMA warned.
KMA notified that only agents registered under the authority were supposed to recruit seafarers and that no payment was required for such an exercise.
“No person shall, either as principal or agent, engage or recruit a Kenyan seafarer for employment on board a Kenyan or foreign ship, without first obtaining a license in the prescribed form from Kenya Maritime Authority authorizing such person to engage or recruit Kenyan seafarers for sea service,” the Authority warned Kenyans.
The government agency added that only those licensed recruitment and placement agents, as published on the KMA website at any given time, would be legally mandated to recruit Kenyans to work as seafarers on board local and foreign sea-going ships.
KMA further outlined fines for merchants found floating such employment opportunities on social media.
“The public is hereby notified that any person acting either as a ship-owner, agent or recruiter and who engages in the business of recruiting Kenyans as seafarers without a license commits an offence.
“The person shall be liable upon conviction, to a fine not exceeding 100,000.00 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to both such fine and imprisonment,” the Authority warned.
Of the people who the fake recruiters would dupe, KMA warned, “The Authority shall not be responsible for any loss, financial or otherwise, that may be suffered by any Kenyan seafarer who engages with and or accepts "engagement" by such agents.”
