Tears, regrets and the loss of millions of shillings characterised the heart-wrenching tales that desperate Kenyans told senators on Monday about their own government's failed promises of jobs in the Middle East .
Appearing before the Senate Committee on Labour, the victims shocked senators as they gave a blow-by-blow account of how they were made to part with between Sh15,000 and Sh55,000 to secure non-existent jobs abroad.
Mr Godfrey Githae, a carpenter from Nyeri County, said he had to borrow Sh55,000 from his wife and in-laws in anticipation of a lucrative job opportunity abroad in Iraq.
When he was asked to pay Sh15,000 for medical tests and another Sh40,000 to process travel documents, which was mandatory for those interested, the journey to the promised land became a matter of when not if.
But the dream of a better future for his family has now turned into an ordeal that threatens to tear his once close-knit family apart as the job is nowhere to be seen while his business back home has collapsed.
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
He said that several months later, they are yet to receive any good news from the government, despite promises made to them by the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection and other
“We were summoned by an agent at Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) where we were asked to make the payments. We neither received results for the medical tests we took nor visa to travel,” said Mr Githae.
“I borrowed Sh40,000 from my in-law who is now demanding his money back. I have had to travel to Nairobi eight times this year to make a follow-up. Each time, I spend Sh1,200 on transport,” he added.
Another victim, Doreen Biyaki, a grader operator, narrated how they were made to believe that the jobs were free until they got to KICC.
She said they were asked to pay in cash and not through mobile money transfer to secure the supposedly lucrative jobs.
But several months later, they are yet to get any positive feedback on the promised jobs, despite parting with about Sh15,000.
"I travelled to Kabete National Polytechnic after the ministry advertised the jobs and after the interviews, I was asked to pay Sh15,000 for medical tests," Ms Biyaki said.
"We demanded a paybill number to make payments but the recruiting agency insisted on cash payments. We are now demanding our money back in full if there are no jobs for us," she added.
Mr James Mwangi, like Githae, parted with Sh55,000 for a job opportunity in Iraq that is nowhere to be seen.
He has received at least Sh37,000 from the agent. He is, however, worried about getting all his money back as the agent has not committed to when he will pay the balance.
Mr Robinson Nyamongo told the committee that he had received a Sh10,000 refund from one Ikusya Kaloki out of the Sh15,000 he had paid.
The plight of desperate Kenyans came into the limelight after nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba inquired about the fate of thousands of Kenyans shortlisted for diaspora jobs by the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection and the National Employment Authority (NEA).
Nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba.
Photo credit: File I Nation Media Group
The committee has now summoned Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua and the NEA management next Tuesday to shed more light on the matter.
Ms Orwoba revealed that she had mobilised more than 90 of the youths and liaised with NEA to ensure that they applied for the jobs with the promise of good jobs in the Middle East.
But she was shocked when the youths came back to her office to tell her that six months later they had not been called for the jobs.
"I am very disturbed today because I took my time to go around and sensitise the youths to try their luck in these jobs which were advertised by the Ministry of Labour and the National Employment Authority which played an active role," said Ms Orwoba.
The senator narrated how it took her intervention for some of the victims to get back some of the money they had paid to the agents to process their travel documents and the opportunity to work abroad.
She disclosed that some of the agencies involved in defrauding the youths had sued her for defamation, but had failed to fulfil their obligations by providing the promised jobs to the victims.
"We must ensure that the victims of this syndicate get justice. CS Mutua must now appear before us next Tuesday to shed more light on this matter," said Kajiado Senator Seki Lenku.
Embu Senator Alexander Mundigi described the matter as heartbreaking, saying the hundreds of gullible Kenyans whose families used the little they had in the hope of securing jobs abroad must get justice.
