On December 11, 2024, Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua assured President William Ruto and desperate jobseekers that the government was closing a deal to have 200 Kenyans recruited into the Qatar police service.
Mr Mutua spoke during a labour and migration forum at Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi that brought together industry stakeholders, including Qatar ambassador to Kenya Mohammed Mutair, whom he said was the link between the two countries.
“We just recruited 200 police officers for Qatar, and they are just doing their security check. By the end of this month they will be going to Qatar to work as police officers making good money,” Mr Mutua said.
He also cited other successful labour programmes dubbed Kazi Majuu (overseas jobs) and Kazi Mtandaoni (online jobs).
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
Documents seen by the Nation show that the 200 Kenyan civilians were to receive a stipend of slightly over Sh100,000 while training, and then double that amount after being absorbed into the Qatari police service.
Much like other overseas job programmes that were exclusively assigned to a few, well-connected recruitment agencies, the Qatar-Kenya police deal was awarded to Qhire International Services Company Limited.
Inspocare Health Ltd was contracted to conduct pre-departure medical screening, some of the candidates for the police jobs said.
Business Registration Service records show that Qhire International Services is owned by Mr Abdullahi Ibrahim and Mr Mohammed Hussein, with each holding 2,500 shares in the firm.
Ms Damaris Ndani Soo and Mr Isaac Mbithi Maundu each own half of the issued 1,000 shares of Inspocare Health.
On its website, Qhire International Services prides itself as an immigration and relocation support agency able to link jobseekers with overseas opportunities in the United States of America, Canada, Qatar and United Arab Emirates.
Inspocare Health markets itself as a top laboratory and wellness checkup centre. It operates from Muthaiga Square on Thika Road.
Much like other components of the Kenya Kwanza administration’s overseas jobs programmes, the Qatar police jobs deal is morphing into a scandal as dozens of applicants remain jobless after parting with their money.
The police recruitment deal has become a goldmine for rogue recruiters and laboratories in Nairobi, which have minted millions from hopeful applicants, who arrived in Qatar only to find that there was no such opportunities.
And, victims now say, the medical reports they were handed when leaving for Qatar had been doctored.
“The first party agreed on recruiting the second party at a rank of policeman for the Ministry of Interior with a fixed monthly salary of QR4,200. The second party is paid QR 1,500 per month as an exceptional allowance, effective from the date of successfully completing the military foundation course as well as the physical and field training and qualification.
“The contract shall be effective... for a period of three years and the second party will be under a probation period of twelve months,” a contract signed between the Qatar Ministry of Interior and Mr Abdiwahid Hamdi Aden, one of the returnees, states.
Mr Aden arrived in Qatar in February this year but was deported after the Middle Eastern nation’s authorities flagged his pre-departure medical screening report — prepared by Inspocare Health — as doctored. This followed fresh laboratory tests done in Qatar.
“I was recruited by Qhire International Services Company Limited where I paid Sh250,000 and did my lab tests at Inspocare Health Limited, where I paid close to Sh10,000 which was to be deducted from agent fee. They kept telling us that we should not worry about the lab tests given they are well connected. I have been chasing a refund without any success,” Mr Aden, 26, said in an interview.
Mr Aden further stated that he has never been given the medical test results that were done in Qatar, and is traumatised because he does not know what he is allegedly suffering from that saw him denied the job.
Cabinet Secretary Ministry of Labour and Social Protection Alfred Mutua interacts with job seekers at KICC, Nairobi following a mass recruitment drive for various jobs in Qatari companies.
Photo credit: File| Nation Media Group
Mr Abdulfatah Ismail, 29, heard from a friend that the government had announced vacancies for Kenyans to be trained as police officers in Qatar. That night, he reached out to his brother, who loaned him Sh250,000.
Mr Ismail paid the money to Qhire International Services on December 11, 2024, after one of the recruiter’s agents claimed that slots were running out and that demand was still high.
The agent said that this was partly because the Qatari police was to pay a return air ticket for successful applicants.
After paying the recruitment fee, Mr Ismail was informed that he had to go for a medical examination at Inspocare Health, which eventually gave him a clean bill of health.
But in Qatar, Mr Ismail was also informed that his pre-departure screening report had been doctored.
“All the medical tests I had done in Nairobi had indicated that overall, my health was good. From sugar levels to everything. But on arrival in Qatar, I was told that there were discrepancies with what I had presented in my medical report and I was put on a flight back home.
“I am now looking for a job to refund my brother the Sh250,000. I have been calling the recruitment agency that I paid and Inspocare Health , which I paid for my medical tests asking them why they lied to us but they didn’t pick my calls. I feel frustrated and conned,” Mr Ismail said in an interview on Monday.
Mr Abdulqafar Adan, 25, also paid Sh250,000 to Qhire International Services. He arrived in Qatar on February 2 after three weeks of waiting to join the police training in Qatar.
He was among Kenyans who were subjected to a second medical examination and then told that the documents from Inspocare Health were doctored. He was also put on a flight back to Nairobi.
Mr Adan, in an interview on Tuesday said that he and other applicants stayed in a camp in Qatar.
“I arrived in Qatar on February 2 and I was deported on February 22. All along we stayed in a camp away from the town. Our phones were confiscated and we were treated like illegal immigrants. On arrival, we were subjected to medical tests and we were informed that the medical examination reports we were relying on from Inspocare Health were doctored,” Mr Adan said.
“They (Qatari authorities) insisted on doing a second medical report and we were not given the results after being informed we should liaise with the agency and laboratory company in Kenya that processed us. Both Qhire International Services and Inspocare Health have declined to give us the medical reports or refund our money,” he added.
Martin (not his real name) paid Sh225,000 to Qhire International Services and nearly Sh10,000 to Inspocare Health.
“I have been chasing my refund from both Qhire and Inspocare Health without success. I have come to realise that the whole process was a job scam that had the blessings of the government. We have raised the issue with the National Employment Authority (NEA) and Labour Ministry, with no success. It is sad that the government is collaborating with scammers to steal from already poor Kenyans,” Martin said, adding that he is now jobless and repaying loans he took hoping to repay after getting into the Qatari police payroll.
By the time of going to press, Qhire International Services had not responded to our inquiries on the alleged job scam.
Last week, Qhire co-owner Mr Ibrahim promised to respond to our queries. Following reminders on Tuesday, he said he was still too busy and would only get time on Thursday.
Dr Mutua could not explain whether the Qatar police deal is a government-to-government deal, or who is mandated to do the recruitment. He declined to comment on claims of fraud when we contacted him last week.
“I do not deal specifically with agency operations. I will find out the status and revert,” Mr Mutua said in a text message, as he sought two days to do so. He was yet to give the promised feedback by the time of going to press.
Two weeks ago, Inspocare Health’s Isaac Maundu asked that we share our questions on email. He was also yet to respond by the time of going to press, despite several follow-up calls.
The Qatar Embassy in Nairobi referred us to NEA when we asked about details of the recruitment programme.
NEA Director-General Edith Okoki did not respond to calls and text messages sent to her known mobile phone number.
