To protect the rights and welfare of Kenyans looking for work overseas, the government has banned and blacklisted more than 500 recruiting and job placement firms.
At a news conference early on Tuesday, October 31, at the National Industrial Training Authority (NITA) in Mombasa County, Shadrack Mwadime, Principal Secretary for the State Department of Labour and Skills Development, declared that investigations into the agencies are ongoing.
“While it is true that around 1,000 organizations have tricked Kenyans, we have taken steps to lower that figure and are still in the vetting phase. He advised against falling for agencies just because they advertise that they ship individuals overseas.
The PS added that these agencies will now be subject to legal repercussions for allegedly participating in fraudulent practices and disregarding legal and policy standards.
Mwadime also emphasized the risks that illegal and rogue operators bring to Kenyans looking for work overseas.
He advised Kenyans to use the National Employment Agency website to locate approved employment agencies to resolve this problem.
Mwadime also voiced concerns about the length of time it takes to provide credentials to applicants from different national training facilities.
About a thousand applicants have complained about the certificates, which are normally issued by a foreign business that the government hires. In response, he stated that the government is collaborating with regional organizations to localize the certificate issue procedure.
Because we now can do so, we are localizing the issue of certificates to candidates in collaboration with our local agencies. With the help of this project, certificates will be issued in as little as one to two months thanks to the establishment of a digital platform, which will guarantee candidate accountability and timely documentation. You may hold us responsible for this moving ahead,” he remarked.
Due to the high unemployment rate in Kenya, a large number of young Kenyans have gone to the Gulf region in search of work, mostly as laborers and domestic help.
Unfortunately, many of them have been subjected to brutality, torture, and abuse by their employers; some have even blamed the recruiting agencies for their current situation.
