Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua on Wednesday advised Kenyans seeking jobs abroad to do their due diligence before applying to avoid being scammed.
Appearing before the Senate on Wednesday, the CS while responding to a question fielded by Nandi Senator Samson’s Cherargei advised Kenyans that going the extra mile to find more information about the recruitment agencies and opportunities is necessary especially now when unscrupulous agents are taking advantage of unsuspecting Kenyans.
During the session, the senator expressed his displeasure after the Cabinet Secretary reportedly failed to provide an official list of approved recruitment agencies as he had earlier been requested by Senators.
“Why can’t the Labour and Social Protection CS Dr. Alfred Mutua provide a list of the recruitment agencies cleared to operate by the National Employment Authority (NEA) to this House? No wonder Kenyans are being conned every day”, Senator Cherargei charged during the proceedings.
Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei at Parliament Buildings.
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Samson Cherargei
The CS revealed that he had prepared and signed the official recruitment agencies list, and was going to follow up to ensure it is availed to senators.
“As far as I know in my records, I signed the list and attached it, it was delivered to Parliament but I’ll follow up with my staff to see whether the people did the right thing, I cannot say it is attached, if it was not attached. As part of my answer, it was delivered, my apologies if there was any anomaly”
According to the CS, applying for a job is a full-time job and the youth should take time to investigate agencies before applying for jobs through them.
“Kenyans who are applying for jobs abroad you do research about the job, from wherever you are.”
“Be very careful about recruitment agencies that come to your villages and tell you they are recruiting you, and that you need to pay them money”, the CS said during the hearing.
In August, the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection flagged 16 recruitment agencies after hundreds of Kenyans claimed to have lost millions in employment scams in Eldoret.
In a statement, Labour PS Shadrack Mwadime said that the Ministry unearthed the unethical agencies after carrying out investigations in collaboration with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
More than 300 people from Eldoret City had lost millions while applying for scholarships after which they were supposed to be flown to institutions in Finland and Canada.
President William Ruto (in brown) with US Senator Chris Coons (right), Amb Meg Whitman (left) and former CS Alfred Mutua at State House.
PCS
