Labour CS Alfred Mutua
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The Kenyan Ministry of Labour and Social Protection has issued a warning to job seekers regarding 26 unregistered recruitment agencies operating within the country.
These agencies, lacking proper registration with the National Employment Authority (NEA), are unauthorized to conduct recruitment activities in Kenya or abroad. Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua emphasizes the importance of public vigilance, urging individuals to verify the legitimacy of recruitment agencies through the NEA website before engagement. This announcement follows a similar alert issued two months prior, which identified 16 other unauthorized agencies. The earlier warning came in response to numerous complaints from Kenyan citizens who reported substantial financial losses due to employment scams, particularly in Eldoret.
“We wish to inform the general public and job seekers that the following Private Employment Agencies are not registered by the Authority and are therefore not authorized to undertake any recruitment activities for local (Kenya) or foreign labour markets,” the notice reads.
Labour Principal Secretary Shadrack Mwadime discloses that a collaborative investigation involving the Ministry, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), and the NEA had uncovered these unethical recruitment practices. The government has intensified its efforts to eliminate fraudulent recruitment agencies that exploit Kenyan job seekers with false promises of lucrative overseas employment. This crackdown is part of a broader initiative to protect citizens from exploitation and ensure compliance with legal standards in recruitment practices. The Ministry has publicly identified the unauthorized agencies which include a range of companies purporting to offer recruitment and travel services.
In parallel with these protective measures, the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection has launched a recruitment drive for over 8,000 positions as enumerators and supervisors. This initiative aims to collect data across various Kenyan counties, offering short-term employment opportunities with competitive daily wages and additional benefits. Furthermore, the Ministry is actively working on vetting ministerial performance contracts for the upcoming fiscal year and developing a national skills inventory database. These efforts are indicative of a comprehensive strategy to enhance labour market efficiency and safeguard the interests of Kenyan workers.