More Than 100 Kenyans Stranded in Cambodia After Fake Job Offers

More than 100 Kenyan nationals are stranded in Cambodia and are appealing for urgent assistance, saying they are being held in dangerous and abusive conditions and are unable to return home.

One of them, Nancy Akinyi, 29, from Kibera’s Olympic Estate in Nairobi, said the group is living under constant intimidation and fear. Speaking via an internet call, she said they are not free to move and believe their lives are at risk. She described the situation as urgent and deteriorating.

Akinyi said she travelled to Cambodia in May 2025 after accepting what she believed was a genuine job offer in cosmetology. Upon arrival, she said the terms of employment changed immediately. She was taken to unknown locations, locked inside buildings and only moved at night. 

According to her account, several Kenyans were beaten, sexually assaulted and threatened with severe harm, including organ removal. Some were allegedly injected with unidentified substances.

In December, Akinyi said she was transferred to another handler. A police raid later led to her arrest, after which she was placed in immigration custody. She said officials told her she would only be released if she paid for her own return ticket. Although her family raised the money, she was later informed that the ticket issued to her was fake.

Kenyan officials have previously warned citizens against travelling to parts of Southeast Asia for work. In late 2025, Kenya’s ambassador to Thailand, Lindsay Kiptiness, cautioned against online job offers in Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand, saying many were linked to trafficking networks. Despite these warnings, recruitment agents continue to advertise positions in teaching, information technology and service industries.

Akinyi said repeated attempts to seek help from Kenya’s embassy in Bangkok, which handles consular matters for Cambodia, have not resulted in concrete assistance. The State Department for Diaspora Affairs confirmed that the case falls under the Bangkok mission and said it is engaging with local authorities, without providing further detail.

Conditions in detention centres were described as severe. Akinyi said immigration officers demanded $1,500 from a group of 20 Kenyans in exchange for admission. When they refused, she claimed dogs were released on them, forcing them to flee. These accounts raise concerns about the treatment of foreign nationals and the conduct of local authorities.

Kenya has faced similar cases in the region. Last year, more than 100 Kenyans trafficked into Myanmar through Thailand were rescued, though official figures indicate many others remain trapped in compounds awaiting repatriation. The cases point to organised trafficking networks operating across borders and targeting migrant workers.

The Kenyans in Cambodia remain in contact through a WhatsApp group, although they suspect recruiters are monitoring the chats. Journalists attempting to join the group have reported being blocked shortly after gaining access. Meanwhile, Kenyan officials continue to urge citizens to verify overseas jobs through licensed agencies and to avoid travelling on visitor visas, particularly to destinations classified as high risk, including Cambodia and Myanmar.