The Ministry of Labour and Social Protection has identified at least 26 unregistered recruitment agencies.
In a notice published in local newspapers, the ministry warned jobseekers to avoid these agencies. Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua emphasized that these agencies are not registered with the National Employment Authority (NEA) and are unauthorized to operate in Kenya or in international labor markets.
The notice states, “We wish to inform the public and job seekers that the following Private Employment Agencies are not registered by the Authority and are therefore not permitted to conduct any recruitment activities for local or foreign labor markets.” It also advises the public to conduct thorough research before engaging with any recruitment agency, and mentions that the list and registration status of agencies can be found on the NEA website.
This announcement follows a previous alert two months ago regarding 16 recruitment agencies, after numerous Kenyans reported losing millions of shillings to employment scams in Eldoret.
Labour Principal Secretary Shadrack Mwadime stated on August 20 that the ministry, in partnership with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the NEA, investigated these agencies and found them unregistered. He noted, “The Ministry, together with the NEA, DCI, and the police, has conducted preliminary investigations revealing that unethical recruitment practices are being carried out by unregistered agencies.”
The government is intensifying efforts to eliminate fraudulent recruitment agencies that promise job placements abroad but often abandon workers upon arrival.
