Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has revealed that more than 500 Kenyans have been rescued from human trafficking networks operating in Southeast Asia, since July 2022.
Mudavadi said the victims had been lured by unscrupulous recruitment agents with false promises of lucrative jobs in countries such as Vietnam, Cambodia, and Myanmar, only to find themselves trapped in forced labour and cybercrime operations.
“The human trafficking situation in Southeast Asia, particularly for Kenyans, has become a significant and alarming concern,” Mudavadi said during the 3rd quarterly media briefing on Kenya's Foreign Policy on Wednesday.
“Many of our citizens have been exploited through forced criminality in online scam compounds.”
The Prime Cabinet Secretary described the syndicate as a “sophisticated menace” that preys on unsuspecting jobseekers through fraudulent online advertisements.
He said victims were trafficked mainly via Thailand and forced to engage in illegal activities, including online scamming, cryptocurrency fraud, and in some cases, organ harvesting.
According to Mudavadi, the Kenya Embassy in Bangkok has played a central role in the rescue and repatriation efforts.
Since July 2022, the mission has facilitated the safe return of about 500 Kenyans who had fallen victim to the scam networks.
“As of now, 126 Kenyans are awaiting repatriation — 69 in Thailand and 57 in Myanmar — while others are believed to be held by militia groups,” he disclosed.
Mudavadi highlighted one case in which a Kenyan man, previously rescued from a scam compound in March 2025, was arrested at a Thai airport for using a fake immigration stamp.
The man had illegally re-entered Thailand to work for a Chinese-owned scam company in Myanmar, showing that some victims had become complicit in the criminal operations.
“This case demonstrates that not all returnees are innocent victims,” Mudavadi noted.
“Some have unfortunately become part of the networks that initially exploited them.”
He further warned that some of the rescued individuals, having acquired cybercrime skills, could pose a national security threat by establishing scam operations within Kenya upon their return.
The government, he said, is developing measures to counter this risk through a nationwide awareness campaign, stronger legal frameworks, and expanded rehabilitation and reintegration support for victims.
Mudavadi commended the Kenya Mission in Bangkok for issuing advisories and labour-related information to deter Kenyans from falling prey to exploitative recruitment.
“The Embassy’s efforts have been instrumental in saving lives and preventing further exploitation,” he said.
Mudavadi reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to strengthening diaspora diplomacy while addressing the vulnerabilities that expose citizens to human trafficking and transnational crime.
