Thousands of desperate jobless Kenyans are on a daily basis falling victims to rogue employment agencies fleecing them of millions of shillings in the pretext of getting them jobs abroad. Mostly targeted are people seeking both menial and professional jobs in the Middle East.

Several employment agencies have sprouted out, taking advantage of the unemployment crisis to con unsuspecting Kenyans hoping to get jobs outside the country to better their lives. The rogue employment agencies are in effect derailing the government’s plan on export labour in a bid to reduce joblessness.

Last week, the National Assembly Committee on Diaspora Affairs and Migrant Workers, while on a visit to Mombasa, came face to face with shocking revelations of how some agencies defraud Kenyans under the guise of overseas job recruitment.

Despite claiming to have facilitated the deployment of more than 600 Kenyans, two of the agencies visited by the committee lacked essential office documentation, raising serious concerns.

According to the committee, Al Hadhramy and Mahla and Attawakul recruitment agencies are reportedly involved in a con scheme where owners are said to have collected millions of shillings from hundreds of Kenyans and left them stranded.

Questions have also been raised over the culpability of the National Employment Authority (NEA) over the con game scheme that has continued to take place under its nose.

Besides fleecing Kenyans, reports and cases abound of how some agencies end up dumping people in countries where they can hardly communicate in the local language, with no place to live and without money.

Scores of Kenyans have also ended up in the hands of cruel employers who torture and enslave them. Quite a number have returned home in coffins.

Promises by the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs that it is working closely with its Labour counterpart to weed out rogue employment agencies have unfortunately remained on paper.

Though the government earns about Sh309 billion in remittances every year from export of labour, the sector should not be left in the hands of unscrupulous people to take advantage of the desperation of jobless people.

The government through NEA, the police and other investigative agencies must crack the whip on the crooked recruitment agencies. People Daily

Haiti Prime Minister Ariel Henry resigned on March 11, 2024 following gang violence in his country that demanded he quits. /FILE/Haiti Premature

Henry has been in power since 2021 when the country’s president Jovenel Moïse was assassinated. Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry has resigned amid deadly gang violence in the country even as Kenya plans to send police officers there.

His resignation was announced by Guyanese President Irfaan Ali who is also the Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

“We acknowledge his resignation upon the establishment of transitional presidential council and naming an interim prime minister,” he said.

Henry has not set foot in his country since last month when he travelled to Kenya to sign a reciprocal agreement with President William Ruto who has agreed to deploy 1,000 police officers to the largely gang-controlled country.

Heavily armed gunmen have since barricaded the main airport at the capital Port-au-Prince vowing to block his return.

This escalation of violence left the Prime Minister and other senior officials he had travelled with to Kenya stranded in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico.

Following Henry’s resignation, a transitional presidential council was formed to name an interim prime minister.

The presidential council, Ali said, would have two observers and seven voting members, including representatives from several coalitions, the private sector, civil society and one religious leader.

The surprise resignation follows a meeting of regional leaders Monday in nearby Jamaica to discuss the framework for a political transition, which the U.S. has urged last week to be “expedited” as armed gangs sought to topple his government.

The status is as you know it. There was a small court matter which has been resolved. The court said we needed to have a reciprocal agreement with Haiti, that reciprocal agreement was signed more than a week ago.

In Kenya, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki announced Monday that the government was at the tail end on police deployment plans to Haiti.

“All the other programmes are in place including the status of forces agreement and the laws on detention arrests and other enforcement measures are now in place,” he said, “Kenya is the lead nation but there are so many nations that have pledged to contribute troops and this came from the mandate of the United Nations Security
Council so it is part of our international obligations.”

It remains unclear if Kenya will still send forces to Haiti following the Prime Minister’s resignation. By Laban Wanambisi, Capital News

The United States has sanctioned 16 companies including a Kenyan bus company for allegedly financing Al-Shabaab operations.

The bus company allegedly supported the militants' logistical operations, according to a statement from the US Department of Treasury.

The US has reiterated its commitment to working with regional partners to root out terror financing networks and entities. 

“Today’s action is part of a multifaceted effort by Treasury to support the Somali government’s economic offensive against al-Shabaab - one of three pillars in their campaign to degrade this deadly terrorist group," said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson.

The sanctioned individuals and entities were allegedly involved in the raising and laundering of millions of dollars through several businesses at the direction and in the interest of al-Shabaab. 

"As a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of the individuals and entities named above, and of any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more by them, individually, or with other blocked persons, that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons must be blocked and reported to Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)," read the statement. By Stephanie Wangari, The Standard