When the government announced plans to secure jobs abroad for skilled Kenyans, Jedida Mutiso, a trained nurse, was optimistic of changing her family’s fortunes.

She was among thousands of Kenyans who showed up for the inaugural mass recruitment spearheaded by the Ministry of Labour led by Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua at Machakos School for the Blind.

She hoped for a well-paying job abroad and after assessment, she qualified for a nursing job. “Being a nurse with experience this was an opportunity that had opened itself and brought near to me. I was among the first group to arrive at the recruitment centre,” she said.

She was later given an appointment letter by a recruitment agency confirming job openings in Saudi Arabia and Qatar although the government had given her an offer letter to worker as a nurse in Germany.

The agency representatives told her to choose between Saudi Arabia and Qatar. “The recruitment agency gave me a yellow letter and told me it was an appointment letter to work in Qatar,” said Ms Mutiso.

However, the agency did not disclose the employer. “That letter does not indicate where I would be working. I wondered if it is legitimate,” she added.

But that is not all. The agency also asked her to pay Sh120,000 processing fee before any other detail about the job or the employer could be disclosed.

She told The Standard that at one point, she and other applicants, asked if they could be linked to the employers to talk to them but they were informed that they would need to visit the agencies to pay processing fees before further negotiations.

“CS Mutua said plans to have air tickets paid for and accommodation on arrival were completed and we were only required to cooperate for seamless movement abroad,” said Mutiso.

She added, “However, for us nurses even after getting job offer letters we were ordered to report to our various recruitment agency offices with mandatory Sh120,000 each as processing fee.”

The opaque nature of the process raises concerns about the safety of Kenyans and the risk of paying exorbitant fees for non-existent jobs.

Some fear they could be abandoned in foreign countries or forced into roles they never applied for.

But it is the lucrative nature of the jobs that is appealing to Kenyans despite the controversies. According to Mutiso, she was to earn Sh200,000 monthly in Qatar and Sh240,000 in Saudi Arabia but the agents couldn’t reveal expected salaries in other countries. “We were told we will get connected to employers after we paying the processing fees but for me I can’t afford such an amount because if I had that I would start my business here at home,” she lamented.

Although the government had claimed finding over one million jobs abroad with countries such as Russia, Poland, Jordan among others in the list, such countries were not presented as choices.

She is not alone. Joseph Kithokoi from Mbooni in Makueni County said he did the interviews with several recruitment agencies and qualified for a nursing job in Qatar.

Oral interviews

“There were agents that did us oral interviews while others gave me emails saying they will talk to me later. One said I had been offered a job in Qatar but they contacted me later to pay processing fees. I am still waiting,” said Kithokoi.

But the diploma holder said the call has not come through yet. The announcement to send Kenyans abroad to work was made by President William Ruto November 14, 2024 and the exercise was run up to December 6.

For Victor Mutua, his application for a driver’s job was unsuccessful because his Kenyan driving licence is not accepted in United Arab Emirates (UAE).

“I was informed that if I needed to work in those nations I will have to accept to travel as either a domestic worker or an assistant in a transport company then later enroll for driving classes,” said Mutua.

Despite his experience in transport sector and his unwillingness to take up a domestic worker’s job, Mutua had to give up the process. What adds to the plight of the applicants is the announcement by CS Mutua that they would need to pay for travel expenses.

This means the applicants will have to pay between Sh70,000- Sh500,000 before they leave the country for the jobs abroad.

This comes even as Kenyans express skepticism to the ambitious recruitment drive that seeks to have at least 20, 000 jobs secured for jobless Kenyans by the end of the year.

While promises of lucrative jobs continue to attract hopefuls, the lack of transparency and financial demands cast a shadow over the initiative, leaving many Kenyans wondering if their dreams of working abroad are worth the price.

Kenyans who showed up for the assessment exercises have raised concerns over the costs that come with the offer of jobs which includes air tickets, passport and visa applications and medical report certificates.

This has locked out thousands of broke Kenyans who cannot afford to pay for the expenses due to the financial constraints.  

Elgar Chepchieng from Baringo county has given up on the job offer in Dubai due to inability to pay for travel documents. She appeals to the government to consider paying air tickets and freed medical check-ups for the successful applicants.

During his tour of Kabaranet -Baringo, for the recruitment, Mutua announced that for same offer applicants will have to pay for their tickets fee as well as medical examination fee.

“Some opportunities may require applicants to cover costs such as medical examinations and air tickets. To improve one’s circumstances, sacrifices must be made,” he added.

Applicants eyeing jobs in Qatar will have to pay between Sh70,000 and Sh100,000 for their one-way air ticket, while a flight to Europe will cost the successful applicants between Sh90,000 – Sh100,000.

Job seekers who will successfully apply for jobs in Canada  will pay between Sh170,000 and Sh200,000 while those heading to Australia will pay between Sh240,000 and Sh300, 000 for air ticket.

“Most of the youths cannot afford more than Sh100,000 for the passport and visa. This is a call to the government to reduce these fees,” he said Macharia Mukua, a youth leader from Nyandarua.

Kenyans have also urged the government to foster a more favourable business environment for local industries, focusing on creating more jobs instead of exporting labour.

“Why can’t we as a country also create industries so that we utilise in the country,” said Sammy Kigen, one of the youths in Baringo.

According to Mutua, the government targets to secure 20,000 jobs in the Middle East, Europe, Canada and Australia.

But even before the drive covers all the targeted 47 counties, there is hesitation among jobless Kenyans to take up the jobs with CS Mutua linking the reluctance to experience of past incidents where Kenyans have been conned by agencies.

During the recruitment in Baringo, the Mutua-led team targeted to recruit 1000 people but only 890 showed up for the jobs in what is emerging as growing skepticism among the youths over possible scam in the recruitment exercise.

In Nakuru, Mutua acknowledged scamming of unsuspecting Kenyans by unscrupulous recruitment agencies promising jobs abroad.

“For too long, unscrupulous elements in the recruitment sector have preyed on our youth, costing them millions of shillings and dashing their dreams. We have already suspended or revoked the licenses of rogue agencies. There will be no room for conmanship in this sector,” Mutua said.

He acknowledged pessimism among some youth due to past experiences but urged them to remain optimistic and seize the opportunity to transform their lives.

“You must eschew negativity and take the initiative to better your future. This government is fully in charge of this process to ensure it is transparent and beneficial,” he said.

Mutua assured the job seekers that the process would be fair and transparent, warning that any agency engaging in fraudulent practices would face the full force of the law.

He urged them to shift from a “resist mentality” and embrace a process being spearheaded by the government.

According to the CS, the exercise which kicked off in November has already covered six counties namely Machakos, Makueni, and Kitui, Nakuru, Baringo, Nyandarua.

He said hundreds of job seekers have already received provisional job offer letters and only await to obtain essential documents, including certificates of good conduct and passports, before flying out.

The ministry is conducting the exercise in collaboration with recruitment agencies, National Employment Authority and the National Industrial Training Authority.

[Report by Jacinta Mutura, Stephen Nzioka, James Munyeki and Yvonne Chepkwony]