The Ministry of Labour and Social Protection has uncovered a fraudulent overseas recruitment scheme involving forged government documents, an unlicensed recruitment network, and false claims of direct employment in Oman. An investigation report confirmed that the recruitment process did not follow legal migration procedures, exposing jobseekers to high risks of exploitation, trafficking, and financial loss. Authorities have directed those behind the scheme to surrender to the DCI before summons are issued.
The Ministry of Labour and Social Protection has conducted an investigation that exposed a fraudulent overseas recruitment scheme targeting several Kenyan jobseekers scheduled to travel abroad for work. A report dated January 30, 2026, established that stamps on the recruitment documents were fake and did not originate from the Ministry of Labour, with verification from the Ministry’s Attestation Department confirming no authorised officer had processed or approved the presented clearances.
“Officials established that the stamps appearing on the recruitment documents were fake and did not originate from the Ministry of Labour, while verification with the Ministry’s Attestation Department showed that no authorised officer had processed or approved the clearances presented,” the report stated.
The probe revealed that the recruitment was not conducted through a registered Kenyan recruitment agency, as required by law. Instead, it was facilitated by informal intermediaries lacking legal authority to recruit for overseas employment and relying on claims of direct hiring to evade regulatory scrutiny.
Labour clearance and contract confirmation documents presented to jobseekers were confirmed forged after the Ministry verified that the stamps and approvals did not originate from it. Checks on the Oman e-Visa system also returned no records of valid work visas linked to the recruitment, confirming the promised employment opportunities were not processed through lawful immigration channels.
“Further checks on the Oman e-Visa portal returned no records of valid work visas linked to the recruitment, confirming the documents were not legitimate,” the ministry added.
The operation was deliberately structured to bypass established migration safeguards using forged documents and unauthorised intermediaries, significantly raising the risk of neglect for jobseekers once abroad. Earlier this month, the Ministry confirmed over 680 rogue recruitment agencies had been deregistered for operating without licenses or breaching labour regulations.
A multi-agency task force including the DCI, Asset Recovery Agency, and National Employment Authority is probing at least 390 agencies for fraud and irregular hiring practices, with several major cases forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Jobseekers are urged to exercise caution in seeking overseas employment and to engage only licensed agencies. The Ministry advises verifying agencies via official government platforms and avoiding payments without proper documentation.
