Some of the more than 60 women who were rescued by police from Suluhisho Africa Limited, a temporary holding center for Kenyans seeking employment abroad, particularly in Gulf countries and based in Bondeni estate, Njoro sub-County of Nakuru on March 29, 2026.
Police in Njoro sub-County, Nakuru, have ordered the immediate closure of a hostel used to house job seekers awaiting travel to foreign countries, citing deplorable living conditions, expired licenses, and multiple complaints from residents.
The hostel, operated by Suluhisho Africa Limited, serves as a temporary holding centre for Kenyans seeking employment abroad, particularly the Gulf countries, and is based in Bondeni estate
The operation, led by officers in Njoro, followed a distress call from one of the women confined in the premises, prompting an urgent response that exposed troubling conditions inside the compound.
Njoro Sub-County Police Commander Stanley Koech said the operation followed fresh allegations from a resident who accused the facility’s management of harassment and unlawfully withholding travel documents.
According to Mr Koech, security agencies had previously inspected the premises last year after receiving reports that individuals were being held there without clear information about their activities.
At the time, security agencies established that the facility was hosting between 80 and 100 women waiting to travel abroad as their documents were being processed.
Njoro sub-County Police Commander Stanley Koech addresses media on March 29, 2026 after the rescue of more than 60 women from Suluhisho Africa Limited, a temporary holding center for Kenyans seeking employment abroad, particularly the Gulf countries, in Bondeni estate, Njoro.
The travel agency was duly registered and its licenses, including those from the county government and the National Employment Authority, were valid.
However, the security team raised concerns about sanitation, congestion, and general living conditions, advising the management to make improvements.
The latest inspection, conducted on Saturday by a multi-agency team comprising county and sub-county security officials, revealed that little had changed.
“This operation was triggered by a complaint from one of the residents who alleged that she had been mishandled, harassed, and that her travel documents held against her wishes,” Koech said.
Upon raiding the facility, officers found that the conditions had worsened, with more than 60 women living in overcrowded and unhygienic spaces in violation of public health regulations.
The sub-county police boss noted that the environment posed serious health risks, with reports of bedbug infestations, poor sanitation in sleeping areas, and an unclean kitchen.
“The situation is deplorable. The hostel is holding a huge number of women beyond its capacity. Beds are squeezed together with no space, and in some cases, two or three people share a single bed. The kitchen is not maintained to acceptable standards. There are flies all over, and the general hygiene is extremely poor. In our assessment, this facility is not fit for human habitation,” he added.
Expired licenses
Investigations also revealed that key operational licenses had expired. The Nakuru County Government permit lapsed on December 31, 2025, while the license from the National Employment Authority expired on March 18, 2025.
The multi-agency team subsequently ordered the immediate and indefinite closure of the establishment until it complies with all regulatory requirements.
As a result, authorities issued an immediate closure order and directed the operators to vacate the premises within 48 hours, pending further investigations and compliance with legal requirements.
Among the items recovered were multiple passports, some belonging to individuals absent from the facility. Koech said this raised serious concerns about the handling of personal documents by the agency.
Some of the passports contained handwritten notes in different languages, indicating that certain individuals had been deemed unfit to travel or had behavioral issues.
Authorities also confiscated several documents from the premises as part of ongoing investigations.
Mr Koech said that investigations are ongoing to determine whether any laws were violated, including possible human rights abuses and irregular recruitment practices.
“With these licenses expired, the facility is operating illegally. We have resolved that this facility must be closed forthwith. It will remain shut until the management meets the required standards and obtains valid licences,” he said
Koech urged members of the public to report any suspicious activities in such facilities, assuring them that authorities would take swift action.
“We are committed to ensuring that all Kenyans seeking opportunities abroad are treated with dignity and within the confines of the law. We have taken in some of the employees for questioning and to assist with investigation. We shall be fair in our investigation and come up with findings and recommendations,” he said.
The women, many of whom spoke on condition of anonymity, painted a grim picture of life inside the compound, alleging mistreatment, restriction of movement, and prolonged uncertainty regarding their travel plans.
Some claimed they had been at the facility for more than three months, having arrived as early as December with the hope of securing domestic jobs in Gulf states.
Others alleged that attempts to seek clarity about their departure dates were often met with hostility, while revealing how frustration and desperation had driven some of their colleagues to escape by jumping over the perimeter wall.
According to them they are not allowed to leave the compound freely, effectively confining them within the facility for extended periods.
"We came here with hopes of traveling to Saudi Arabia for work. We have women from as far as Mombasa, Kilifi, Kwale, Muranga and other counties. Whenever we ask when we would travel, we are being threatened or even beaten when we demand we travel,” said a woman.
Public health officials from Njoro noted that after carrying out an inspection, they established that the rooms were dark with insufficient ventilation.
At the entrance of the compound, the official noted that they were greeted with a rotten smell, heavy infestation of flies and when they tried to inquire they were not given a satisfactory explanation.
Obuya Mogendi, an advocate of the Suluhisho Africa Limited, a temporary holding center for Kenyans seeking employment abroad on March 29, 2026. He vowed to challenge the hostel's shutdown in court.
Advocate Abuya Mogendi who represented Suluhisho Africa limited director Peninah Makhapila, said that they will move to court to challenge the decision of shutting down the facility.
According to Mr Mogendi, the operation is politically instigated, saying that Ms Makhapila is being targeted by individuals who feel threatened by her work.
He claimed that issues of torture had not been reported to the agency.
"We are not happy how the police handled the whole situation, it is a private residence. we have expressed instructions, monday morning we will be in court to challenge the notice,before they come here within the 48 hours they will have the orders from court," he said
