Marakwet West Member of Parliament, MP Kipchumba Toroitich has raised the alarm over the increasing number of rogue recruitment agencies operating and preying on desperate youth in the North Rift.
Toroitich observed that the agencies they are defrauding jobless youth under the guise of offering overseas jobs.
Speaking in his constituency, the lawmaker expressed concern that many young people had lost millions of shillings to fake agencies, with some falling into depression after their hopes of employment abroad were dashed.
“It is immoral and completely wrong to take advantage of jobless youth just to enrich yourself,” said Toroitich. “Those behind these fraudulent schemes must be brought to book and face the full force of the law.”
The MP called on the National Employment Authority (NEA) to enhance awareness campaigns on safe and legal employment channels, noting that many young people are unaware of the legitimate job opportunities available to them.
“NEA needs to step up sensitization across the country. Most youth don’t even know there are over 300,000 verified jobs available on the NEA website,” he said. “It’s shocking that only a handful have applied.”
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Toroitich assured that Members of Parliament are ready to support NEA initiatives through the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NGCDF) to help curb unemployment and protect youth from falling prey to unscrupulous agents.
Despite efforts by the Ministry of Labour, including the blacklisting of more than 500 rogue recruitment and job placement agencies in November 2023, the problem continues to persist.
Many of these agencies operate without licenses or proper registration, defrauding job seekers of large sums of money. In some cases, victims report having their passports confiscated and being forced into exploitative or dangerous situations abroad.
“We are talking about a system that is trapping our young people, robbing them of their dreams, and in some cases, endangering their lives,” Toroitich emphasized. “This must stop.”
The MP urged parents and guardians to guide their children in making informed decisions and called for tighter regulation and enforcement from government agencies to root out the cartels behind the scam operations.
By KIMUTAI LANGAT
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