The government has revealed the names of 32 blacklisted recruitment agencies that Kenyans should avoid while searching for overseas jobs amid increased cases of desperate job seekers falling victims to rogue agencies.
This as the State further disclosed that the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has launched investigations into some 153 unscrupulous agencies with a view to prosecution.
A majority of the agencies have fallen on the wrong side of the law for either being in operation while not registered or with expired licences.
Appearing before the Senate committee on Labour and Social Welfare on Tuesday, Labour Cabinet Secretary Dr Alfred Mutua said the 32 deregistered or blacklisted firms include Gulfway Recruitment Company Limited, Royal Capital Placement Limited, Geoverah Agency Limited, First Choice Recruitment and Consultancy Limited, Daawo Holdings Limited, Makungu International Limited and Talent Getaway Limited.
Others are Royal Capital Placement Limited, Jakarta Ventures Limited, Skill Dove Limited, Gifted Minds Tours Travel Limited, Tangofox Limited, Alemtyaz Travel Agent Limited, Rhodevo International Limited, Flexturch Recruitment Limited, Omran Aly Agencies Limited, Alsari International and Leisamis Recruiters.
Also in the list of shame are Skyward Global Dimensions Limited, Kalezon Limited, Abamwe Investments Limited, Mastermind Ventures Limited, Broadlink Travels Agency Limited, Kistamu Agency Limited, Global Career Crew Listings, Mega Recruitment Limited and Novice Global Consultancy Limited.
The list is completed by Mowasalat Mapower Limited, Vintmark Travel Agency Limited, Trustpin Verified Agency Limited, and Man and Swa Recruitment Palace.
Labour and Social Protection CS Alfred Mutua with job-seekers at KICC during a recruitment drive for jobs in Qatar.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
The committee chaired by West Pokot Senator Julius Murgor is investigating allegations of how thousands of Kenyan youth were conned millions of shillings in a botched overseas job export programme by the government.
The committee meeting, however, nearly turned ugly after CS Mutua and nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba clashed with each party, accusing the other of spreading misinformation about the issue at hand.
The senator was also dragged into the controversial government labour export programme after a director of one of the recruitment agencies contracted by the government revealed that Ms Orwoba is bitter because she has a personal interest in the matter.
Dr Mutua told the committee that the lawmaker has been threatening to take him down as well as harassing his staff in the ministry after the recruitment process did not go her way.
The CS alleged that Ms Orwoba had been acting as a recruiting agent, and after the process did not go her way, she began a smear campaign against the ministry.
He challenged the senator to table evidence of job seekers who paid but have not been refunded, accusing the legislator of seeking to milk political mileage from the matter.
“The senator has been acting as a recruiting agent seeking to have 600 youth from Bobasi Constituency taken abroad, and when this was not possible, the problems started,” said CS Mutua.
“We don’t have a single record of anyone who paid and changed their mind and has been denied their money. What we have are records of those who feel the programme has been delayed, of which they have been explained to what is happening, and they were patient enough,” he added.
Global Face Human Resource Limited Director Festus Omwamba revealed how the senator approached him and four other recruitment agents on February 11, 2025, to have some 600 youth recruited as part of the government programme.
Mr Omwamba told the committee that only some of the youth she brought forward were successful, and when the process did not turn out as she wanted, the senator began threatening them.
“She overpromised the youth as she wants to vie as Bobasi MP. She even went to the ground and made posters of partnering with the national employment authority (NEA) to secure jobs for his constituents abroad, yet she did not understand the recruitment process,” said Mr Omwamba.
“I explained to her that the process might take long, but she got frustrated and began bringing up issues. My agency took 38 of the youth and I have refunded the Sh15,000 they paid as medical test fee,” he added.
CS Mutua added that the 89 youth from Bobasi were shortlisted during a recruitment that happened in eight wards in the constituency, which was organised and coordinated by the office of Senator Orwoba.
However, only 56 candidates passed the pre-screening tests as drivers, where 52 went ahead to take the initial medical tests, while the remaining four did not show up for the tests.
She would then raise issues over the exercise through a letter to NEA dated March 18, 2025, citing lack of transparency, inadequate communication and uncertainty over travel arrangements.
Job seekers fill out their credentials at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre on October 25, 2024, during a mass recruitment drive for various job opportunities in Qatari companies.
Photo credit: Wilfred Nyangaresi | Nation Media Group
Consequently, Dr Mutua said, the senator requested an immediate full refund of the amounts paid to the two recruitment agencies, being Monisa Company Limited and Global Face Human Resource Limited.
“While processing the candidates’ contracts, there was a call from Senator Orwoba to cancel their travel process and refund the medical fees to the candidates, citing delays in the travel process,” said Dr Mutua.
He clarified that by the time Ms Orwoba was asking questions over the recruitment, those who did not get jobs had been refunded minus the medical fees.
For her part, Senator Orwoba accused the minister and the agencies of spinning a narrative to paint her in a bad light, saying her interest in the inquiry is to shed light on how thousands of gullible Kenyan youth had lost their money through the job scam supported by the Labour ministry.
Nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba.
Photo credit: Dennis Onsongo | Nation Media Group
“Let us not personalise this matter but listen to the victims. It is not only about the 89 youth from Bobasi but Kenyans who have been conned by rogue recruitment agencies,” said Ms Orwoba.
The senator said she expected CS Mutua to come to the committee armed with evidence of how the programme is successful, wondering how Kenyans can be taken to Iraq when some Kenyans are also seeking to be rescued from the same country.
“I am being threatened with removal from office as a senator because I am doing my work. We are playing with Kenyans' lives. Kenyans are committing suicide, and we want to know whether the National Employment Authority is safeguarding Kenyans from this drama,” said Ms Orwoba.
Nonetheless, NEA Director-General Edith Okoki told the committee that Ms Orwoba was in charge of the exercise in Bobasi and officers from her department did not have much to do and only took a register of the recruits.
Embu Senator Alexander Mundigi said the committee needs to carry out an investigation to establish where the truth lies.
“It seems Orwoba had an issue with the recruiting agencies and should have a meeting to solve their differences instead of involving CS Mutua,” said Senator Mundigi.
Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka said he has more than 160 Kenyans in Yemen and Qatar who have raised concerns in the manner they are being treated by recruitment agencies, and that it was important that CS Mutua comes out clearly on what they are doing to ensure that the safety of Kenyans was assured while abroad.
CS Mutua told the committee that he has been cleaning up the system to ensure that innocent Kenyans were not conned since assuming office, and it was unfair for anyone to associate him with crime.
