Three individuals have been arrested in connection with an alleged fraudulent recruitment scheme promising foreign jobs to youth from rural Uasin Gishu County. The three suspects were taken into custody after they reportedly lured young people to Eldoret City with promises of lucrative employment opportunities in Dubai. This comes amid growing concerns over the rise of fake job recruitment scams targeting vulnerable individuals hoping to secure work abroad.
The arrests occurred after the youth, who had been ferried from rural areas such as Ziwa, arrived in Eldoret expecting to be registered for the high-paying jobs in Dubai. According to Uasin Gishu Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) boss Daniel Muleli, the young people were first taken to a hotel in Eldoret, where they were later transferred to a house in the Annex area. This sudden change of location triggered suspicions among the youth, many of whom had already been given forms to fill out for the recruitment process.
“When the group was taken to a home near the Annex area, it raised red flags,” Muleli explained. “The youth became suspicious, and an alert was raised to us. We immediately deployed officers, who swiftly arrested the suspects.”
The arrested individuals, who include one person claiming to be the CEO of a registered recruitment agency, allegedly promised the youth that they were linked to a licensed employment agency registered under the National Employment Agency (NEA) in Nairobi. However, the agency had no authority to operate in Eldoret, and it appears that the recruitment process was entirely fraudulent.
The recruitment agency, which claims to be legally operating, has come under scrutiny for allegedly exploiting unsuspecting young people, particularly those from rural areas, with promises of well-paying jobs abroad. According to Muleli, the suspects’ claim of affiliation with a registered agency is part of a deceptive tactic to gain the trust of the youth, some of whom traveled long distances, often at their own expense, in hopes of a brighter future.
The situation took a darker turn when some of the youth, including Japheth Kipngetich, Job Kipkosgey, and Aaron Kiplimo, revealed that they had been told that the process was entirely free of charge. Initially, they were led to believe that the agency would bear the cost of all necessary documentation, including visas. However, once the youth arrived in Eldoret, they were informed that they would need to pay large sums of money before they could be officially recruited for the jobs in Dubai.
Kipkosgey, one of the affected youths, recounted how the individuals behind the scam promised that those with no skills would earn approximately KSh 38,000 a month, while skilled workers would make over KSh 60,000. “We were told that the process would be free, but later, they started telling us to be ready to pay money before anything could proceed,” he said. Kipkosgey further revealed that the forms they were given to fill out were written partly in Chinese, allegedly originating from a Chinese company.
The authorities are now investigating the matter to uncover the full extent of the scam and to determine whether the suspects are part of a larger international trafficking network. Muleli has assured the public that the investigation will be thorough, and that those involved in the scam will face legal consequences. “We are committed to protecting the youth from exploitation, and we will take appropriate action once we have gathered all the necessary details,” Muleli said.
This incident highlights the ongoing challenge of job recruitment scams in Kenya, where many young people are lured by promises of better prospects abroad, only to fall victim to exploitative schemes. Authorities have cautioned the public to be vigilant when approached by recruitment agencies, especially those offering opportunities that seem too good to be true.
As investigations continue, it remains clear that vigilance and awareness are key in preventing young people from falling prey to such scams, which have cost many their hard-earned money and dreams of a better life abroad.
