Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua has dismissed claims that the government defrauded Kenyans through non-existent overseas job opportunities, attributing the delays in deployment to logistical and administrative challenges.
Appearing before the Senate Labour Committee on Tuesday, he defended the controversial foreign jobs programme, saying while some job seekers have waited for months, others have already been successfully deployed.
“The deployment of migrant workers involves several stages, including registration, mandatory medical examinations and coordination with foreign employers and agencies, which may result in delays,” Mutua said.
The CS cited multiple reasons behind the slow placement process, including documentation issues, insufficient funds to process travel documents, medical test failures and some candidates changing their minds midway through the process.
Despite the setbacks, Mutua maintained that the programme remains active and transparent.
He assured the Senate that a list of successful candidates will be made public and the ministry is committed to finalising all pending cases in compliance with legal and ethical standards.
Mutua's appearance before the Senate came in the wake of damning testimony from Kenyans who claim to have been defrauded under the guise of securing jobs abroad.
Last week, victims told the committee they were conned out of money ranging between Sh15,000 and Sh55,000 by individuals allegedly acting on behalf of the Ministry of Labour or licensed recruitment agencies.
The fraudulent scheme reportedly took place in late last year and mainly targeted job placements in the Middle East.
One of the victims, Godfrey Githae, a carpenter from Nyeri, moved the committee to tears as he narrated how he borrowed Sh55,000 from his wife and in-laws to secure a job in Iraq—only for the opportunity to vanish.
“I was told the visa was being processed, but I’ve received nothing. I’ve travelled to Nairobi eight times this year for follow-ups, each trip costing me Sh1,200,” Githae lamented.
He said he and about 20 others were summoned to KICC, where they were asked to pay Sh15,000 for medical tests and later another Sh40,000 for travel arrangements—yet none of them received medical results or travel documents.
Another victim, Doreen Biyaki, a grader operator, said she applied for a driver’s job advertised by the Ministry and attended interviews at Kabete National Polytechnic. She was asked to pay Sh15,000 in cash for medical tests, despite initial government assurances that the process was free.
“We were surprised when they demanded money. Some of us asked for a Paybill number but were told to pay cash. Months later, we haven’t received any updates,” she said.
Biyaki said with the help of Senator Gloria Orwoba, some victims managed to recover Sh10,000, but majority are still awaiting refunds.
In his defence, Mutua said while delays have caused frustration, the programme has not failed. He denied claims that anyone who withdrew from the process was denied a refund.
“I don’t have a single record of someone who paid and later changed their mind but was denied their money. What I do have are cases of applicants who understood the delays and remained patient,” he said.
The CS pledged continued investigations and reaffirmed that the Ministry would act against any fraudulent actors involved in the recruitment process.
INSTANT ANALYSIS
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi on Tuesday told a Senate that the government is committed to dealing with unscrupulous agents conning Kenyans millions of shillings with promises of nonexistent jobs abroad as per the law. He said that the government, through the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Labour, are working to ensure that Kenyans are informed of the right countries to apply for jobs. The government will also be sensitizing Kenyans on places to avoid in foreign jobs without naming countries, since there are some countries well known for rampant human trafficking and the likelihood of losing their body organs.
