Mudavadi warns youths over rising overseas job scams and trafficking cases

Young Kenyans seeking employment opportunities abroad have been cautioned against using unverified recruitment agents, with authorities warning that many have fallen victim to deception that has exposed them to exploitation, detention, and even armed conflict.

Foreign and Diaspora Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, during the Labour Day celebrations, said overseas work remains a major opportunity for Kenyan youth, but insisted that it must be pursued through approved government systems to guarantee safety and protect workers from criminal networks.

He noted that the government has established structured labour migration pathways, including the Kazi Majuu programme, to ensure Kenyans travel abroad under verified contracts and secure conditions.

"I would like to take this opportunity to ask our youth, when you want to go out in search of employment in various foreign countries, use the Ministry of Labour, National Employment Agency and Diaspora Department. We want you to go and work in a safe environment, in a peaceful environment and earn with your security guaranteed," he said.

Mudavadi warned that ignoring official procedures has resulted in cases where young people were misled into dangerous environments, including areas experiencing armed conflict, despite having no training for such situations.

"Please use the government institutions so that we can help you to ensure that you go to a safe working environment. We have lost young people in Russia and Myanmar in the so-called golden triangle," he said.

He said many of those affected were drawn in through fake job promises that offered high salaries and improved living standards, only for them to later find themselves trapped in unsafe and exploitative conditions.

Government data shows that by early April 2026, more than 250 Kenyans are believed to have been recruited into the Russia-Ukraine war, after being lured through misleading job advertisements and promises of foreign citizenship.

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Mudavadi disclosed that following diplomatic engagement, he travelled to Moscow where an agreement was reached with Russian authorities to halt further recruitment of Kenyans, while efforts continue to repatriate those still caught up in the conflict.

He added that at least three Kenyans are currently held as prisoners of war in Ukraine, 16 are missing in action, and 38 others are undergoing treatment for injuries in restricted facilities.

The government has also escalated action against illegal recruitment networks, shutting down over 600 agencies suspected of trafficking and misleading job seekers, as repatriation efforts continue for those seeking to return home.

Mudavadi further raised alarm over Kenyans trapped in similar scams in Asia, noting that over 100 were stranded in Myanmar under fake job schemes, with some rescued while others remain detained or in difficult conditions.

Between October 2025 and March 2026, more than 350 Kenyans were rescued from forced labour camps, while others are still believed to be stranded along the Thailand–Myanmar border as operations to recover them continue.