Labour Ministry Uncovers Fake Overseas Jobs Scam Targeting Kenyans

The Ministry of Labour and Social Protection has uncovered a fraudulent overseas recruitment scheme involving forged government documents and an unlicensed network that falsely promised Kenyan jobseekers direct employment in Oman.

In an investigation report dated January 30, 2026, the Ministry said the scheme targeted several Kenyans who were preparing to travel abroad for work. Investigators found that the recruitment process did not follow legal migration procedures, exposing the jobseekers to the risk of exploitation, human trafficking and financial loss.

Officials discovered that stamps appearing on the recruitment documents were fake and did not come from the Ministry of Labour. Further checks with the Ministry’s Attestation Department confirmed that no authorised officer had processed or approved the clearances presented to the jobseekers.

The Ministry also established that the recruitment was not carried out through a licensed Kenyan recruitment agency, as required by law. Instead, informal brokers with no legal authority handled the process, using claims of direct hiring to avoid government checks.

Investigators further found that labour clearance and contract confirmation documents given to the jobseekers were forged. The Ministry confirmed that the approvals and stamps on the documents were not genuine and had not been issued by any authorised officer.

Checks on the Oman e-Visa system showed no records of valid work visas linked to the recruitment, confirming that the promised jobs were not processed through legal 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 said.

The report concluded that the scheme was deliberately designed to bypass official migration safeguards by using fake documents and unauthorised intermediaries, placing jobseekers at serious risk once abroad.

Authorities have ordered those behind the scheme to surrender to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), warning that summonses will be issued to trace and arrest those involved if they fail to comply.

Earlier this month, the Ministry said more than 680 rogue recruitment agencies have been deregistered for operating without valid licences or violating labour laws.

A multi-agency task force involving the DCI, the Asset Recovery Agency and the National Employment Authority is currently investigating at least 390 recruitment agencies over fraud and irregular hiring practices. Several cases have already been forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

The Ministry has urged jobseekers to be cautious when looking for jobs abroad and to deal only with licensed recruitment agencies.