JKIA
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On August 23, 2022, a 23-year-old named Ian Githinji left Nyeri for Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) hoping to get a job in Thailand.
The ambitious young man became entangled in what appeared to be a promising opportunity for overseas employment, only to discover he was being drawn into an elaborate trafficking scheme. The story began when Githinji encountered Eunice Wairimu Karwenji, who had transformed from a salon worker into an employment agent. Operating under the auspices of Frigece Company, Wairimu presented herself as a legitimate intermediary capable of securing Thai visitor visas. For Githinji, this seemed like a gateway to prosperity. Having invested considerable funds in both the visa process and Wairimu's services, Githinji arrived at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport with high expectations.
However, his journey was immediately complicated when Qatar Airways personnel requested additional fees—a standard requirement for visitor visa holders. Though momentarily discouraged, Wairimu's reassurances led him to attempt the journey again. His second attempt proved more alarming when immigration officials intervened, warning him about safety concerns in Thailand. The truth, however, was even more sinister as Myanmar, not Thailand, was the actual intended destination—a country notorious for human trafficking operations. Githinji's experience was far from unique. James Ngunjiri had fallen victim to the same deceptive scheme, exposing a pattern in Wairimu's operations.
The network she represented systematically targeted vulnerable Kenyans with promises of overseas employment opportunities only to subject them to exploitation. Perhaps most disappointing was the account of Rosemary Kalunde whose promised customer service position in Thailand led her to Myanmar. There, she was coerced into working for a cryptocurrency company engaged in fraudulent activities, enduring both physical and psychological abuse while living under severe restrictions. After attempting to leave, the company demanded Sh500,000 from her. When she couldn't pay, they confiscated her meal card.
Fortunately, she was able to contact a woman named Nancy, who connected her to an organization that provided accommodation and helped her report the matter to the authorities. Kalunde was later arrested, charged, and jailed in Thailand for eight days. After serving her sentence, she was held in an immigration centre until January 10, 2023, when she finally returned to Kenya. The traffickers' methodology became further apparent through Winny Njoki who disclosed how Wairimu employed passport confiscation and extortion as means of control. During the trial, Wairimu presented her defence asserting that she had merely provided assistance to individuals who had specifically requested tourist visas and travel support.
She maintained that while she had indeed aided the complainants with their travel arrangements, their failure to complete their journeys was not her responsibility. However, the prosecution successfully demonstrated that Wairimu had engaged in fraudulent activities, working in concert with others to obtain money from the victims. The magistrate determined that her actions constituted a violation of the Counter-Trafficking in Persons Act 2010. Based on the strength of the prosecution's case and the clear contravention of the law, Wairimu was last week guilty on both counts of human trafficking charges. She has been sentenced to 10 years in jail or a fine of Sh4.05 million.