Cabinet Secretary for Labour and Social Protection Dr Alfred Mutua speaks during a press briefing at the NSSF Building, Upper Hill in Nairobi on April 23, 2025.
Parliament has summoned Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua and the National Employment Authority (NEA) over the swindling of youth seeking employment abroad by recruitment agencies.
The Senate Standing Committee on Labour and Social Welfare wants Dr Mutua to appear before it on May 6, 2025 over the failure by the government to send thousands of youths to work abroad despite having been recruited and given job offers.
This follows a petition filed by nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba who raised concerns over failure by the government to send 89 youth from Bobasi Constituency to Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Iraq among other gulf countries.
Ms Orwoba, who was accompanied by representatives of the youth said the government announced the recruitment of youth at Kabete Technical Training College last August but none has traveled abroad despite being given letters of job offers.
She said the recruitment was undertaken in partnership between her office and the NEA.
“The youth have lost their money. They paid Sh15,000 each for medical tests but have not been able to travel for work,” Ms Orwoba said.
“There are those who were told to pay additional Sh40,000 to facilitate quick processing of their papers.”
Appearing before the committee chaired by Lenku Ole Seki, the representative of the victims of the job scam said they had been conned by a recruiting firm by the name Mallow SmartHires Limited whose director is one Ikusia Kaloki.
“The committee directs that the Cabinet Secretary for Labour and the management of the NEA appears before us on May 6, 2025,” Mr Seki said.
The youth, who had been recruited as drivers, carpenters, plant operators and labourers told the committee that they had been refunded only Sh10,000 out of the Sh15,000 they paid for medical tests.
“I borrowed Sh15,000 from my wife to pay for the medical tests after I had been recruited but the job is nowhere. My wife is now demanding for the money and I do not have the same,” Godfrey Mbote, a victim from Nyeri County told Mr Seki.
“Worse off is that I borrowed another Sh40,000 from my in-laws to pay for the processing of visas and administration fees. My in-laws are also demanding a refund.”
Mr Mbote, a carpenter who had been recruited for a job in Iraq, told the committee that he learnt of the job recruitment drive from governor Mutahi Kahiga.
He said he has not received a single cent despite demanding his money and the recruitment firm has been taking him round in cycles.
Mr Mbote said the Sh40,000 consisted of Sh20,000 for visa processing which he has not received to date.
“I have receipts to prove the payments which I made to an account held at the Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) and I have not been refunded,” Mr Mbote said.
“I have no job, I have no visa, I have lost the money, and I am now in debt with those whom I borrowed from being on my case. I seek your help to recover the money.”
John Mwangi, a victim of the recruitment scam from Thika Town in Kiambu said he paid Sh15,000 for medical tests and Sh40,000 for visa processing but has not been able to fly to Qatar.
“I learnt of the job recruitment through Dr Mutua’s Job Majuu Facebook page and I traveled to Kabete Technical Training College where I was interviewed by some people of Arab descent and I passed the interview,” Mr Mwangi said.
“I was then told to wait for communication. I then received a call asking me to go to the Kenyatta International Convention Centre to sign the job offer.”
Mr Mwangi said before signing the job offer, the recruitment agency asked for Sh15,000 for medical tests which he paid before being referred to Inforcare Health Limited located at Muthaiga Square for the tests.
Fredrick Mwamburi from Kisii County, who had been recruited as a driver, told the committee that he paid Sh15,000 in cash to a recruiting agent at Kabete and was not issued with any receipt.
“They demanded that we withdraw the money and pay in cash. We were not told that the money was needed in advance and I had to borrow the money from a self-help group which I am a member of,” Mr Mwamburi said.
Doreen Biaki from Bobasi constituency said she had been recruited as a driver and a plant operator but the job has not been forthcoming since August 19, 2024.
“I have received a refund of Sh10,000 from Monalisa Co. Limited. Since the job is not there, why can’t they refund my money in full?” she asked.
The youth want the Senate to intervene and have their money refunded in full or they be given the jobs they had been promised.
