NAIROBI, Kenya — Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua has said the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) is pursuing a couple accused of disappearing with Sh18 million from the Youth Enterprise Development Fund, money intended to help young Kenyans secure jobs abroad.
Mutua said the suspects vanished after allegedly collecting the funds under the pretext of facilitating overseas employment opportunities, leaving dozens of youths stranded and financially distressed.
He identified them as Vincent Omondi Oyugi and his wife, Rachael Njoki Kariuki. He urged the couple to voluntarily surrender to authorities as investigations intensify.
“This money was meant to change lives. Anyone who steals from the youth is stealing their future,” Mutua said, adding that the government would not shield anyone involved in fraudulent recruitment schemes.
“If they have bought a car using the money, let them sell it. We need the money.”
The CS said the case is part of a broader crackdown on rogue labour recruiters exploiting unemployed Kenyans desperate for opportunities abroad.
Labour CS Alfred Mutua says DCI is hunting a couple who vanished with KSh18 million from the Youth Fund meant to help youths secure jobs abroad, urging them to surrender.Video by Benard Orwongo.
He warned that the government would pursue both local and international syndicates involved in labour export fraud.
According to Mutua, preliminary investigations indicate the suspects used false promises of overseas placement to collect money from applicants before going underground.
The DCI is working with immigration and financial crimes units to trace the funds and recover any remaining proceeds.
The Labour ministry has in recent months intensified oversight of labour recruitment agencies, insisting that only licensed firms are authorised to process foreign job placements.
Mutua has repeatedly cautioned Kenyans against travelling on tourist visas for employment, saying such arrangements often lead to exploitation.
The Youth Enterprise Development Fund was established to support young people through financing, training and employment creation, including access to legitimate international job markets.
Mutua said the ministry would work with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to ensure those responsible face the full force of the law, while also reviewing safeguards around public employment funds.
The case has renewed concerns over high youth unemployment and the vulnerability of job seekers to scams amid rising cost-of-living pressures.
