NAIROBI, Kenya – Kenya’s anti-corruption and governance watchdog has called for disciplinary action against senior police officers and officials of the National Employment Authority (NEA) over failures that allowed an alleged overseas jobs scam to operate unchecked for months.
The Commission on Administrative Justice (CAJ) said investigations linked public officers to negligence, intimidation of victims and regulatory lapses that enabled First Choice Agency to continue collecting money from job seekers under false promises of overseas employment and education.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Commission said it had recommended decisive disciplinary measures against several officers of the National Police Service (NPS) and senior NEA officials for violating their statutory duties and failing to protect vulnerable citizens.
According to CAJ, some police officers contravened the Eighth Schedule of the National Police Service Act, 2011, by neglecting complaints and allegedly intimidating victims who sought justice.
Those implicated include the former Turbo Sub-County Criminal Investigation Officer (now SCCIO of Suna East), the current Turbo Deputy SCCIO, the former Officer Commanding Station (OCS) at Eldoret Police Station (now Staff Officer Personnel in Nyandarua Central), and the former Officer Commanding Crime at Eldoret Police Station (now SOP in Imenti Central).
“The then Turbo SCCIO and the then Officer Commanding Crime, Eldoret Police Station, alongside other implicated officers, were involved in threats and intimidation against complainants from the First Choice Agency,” the Commission said.
The CAJ has directed the National Police Service Commission chief executive to initiate disciplinary proceedings and submit a comprehensive report within six months.
The investigation also faulted the National Employment Authority for failing to safeguard unemployed Kenyans from exploitation, contrary to Section 9(d) of the NEA Act, 2016.
The NEA Director-General and the Director of Labour Migration were cited for regulatory failures.
The Principal Secretary in the State Department for Labour and Skills Development has been instructed to take appropriate disciplinary action against the officials and report back to the Commission.
Delayed justice, intimidation and regulatory gaps
The Commission’s inquiry found that between September and December 2022, dozens of complaints by victims were lodged at Eldoret Police Station, but no meaningful action was taken.
Instead, complainants faced prolonged delays, harassment and alleged intimidation by some officers.
Evidence pointed to obstruction of justice and possible shielding of the agency’s director. Although the case was later transferred to the Economic and Commercial Crimes Unit (ECCU) at DCI headquarters, progress remained stalled as of August 2023, exposing systemic inefficiencies in investigations and prosecution.
At the same time, CAJ said NEA failed in its oversight role by inadequately vetting recruitment agencies, failing to enforce quarterly compliance returns, neglecting inspections of branch offices and maintaining poor records.
While no direct collusion between NEA officials and the agency was established, the Commission said the regulatory gaps allowed fraudulent activities to persist unchecked.
Petition by thousands of youths
The investigations followed a petition submitted to the Senate Standing Committee on Labour and Social Welfare on February 15, 2023, on behalf of about 5,000 youths.
The petition alleged that First Choice Agency collected money from job seekers using false promises of overseas jobs and education opportunities, including placements linked to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, but failed to deliver.
It also accused some law enforcement officers of colluding with the agency to intimidate victims and frustrate investigations.
Acting on the Senate committee’s recommendation, CAJ launched a probe focusing on the involvement of public officials, regulatory lapses by NEA, and intimidation of victims by police officers.
How the scam allegedly operated
The Commission established that First Choice Agency operated between 2021 and 2022, aggressively marketing overseas opportunities through roadshows and social media.
It reportedly enjoyed backing from influential political and business figures in Uasin Gishu County and alleged collaboration with the county government.
The agency charged a facilitation fee of Sh40,400 per applicant, though some victims said they paid much more.
Payments were largely made in cash, with unbranded or unclear receipts that made tracing transactions difficult.
Applicants submitted personal documents, underwent medical tests and interviews, and later signed placement agreements.
The agency also facilitated visas, passports and insurance through informal networks at extra cost.
However, placements never materialised, delays mounted and communication from the agency dwindled, triggering protests and media scrutiny.
CAJ further found that First Choice Agency and related entities operated without proper NEA registration, with wide discrepancies between claimed placements (800) and verified placements (53).
The Commission warned that continued failures within the police, NEA and other government offices had slowed prosecution and raised serious concerns about accountability in labour migration and law enforcement systems.
