Unlicensed job recruitment agency busted in Mombasa – DCI
By Nancy Marende, August 26, 2025Detectives from the Transnational Organised Crime Unit (TOCU), in collaboration with officers from Mombasa Central Police Station, have arrested two persons of interest accused of running an overseas job recruitment agency without a valid licence.
In a statement on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) stated that the operation was conducted based on actionable intelligence and targeted a premises in Makadara.
“A swift search of the office yielded an expired National Employment Authority (NEA) registration certificate, two registers, a receipt book, and the agency’s official stamp, all of which were seized as exhibits,” read the statement in part.
Additionally, DCI revealed that the National Police Service (NPS) has since cautioned Kenyans seeking employment abroad to verify recruitment agencies through the National Employment Authority.
“Only agencies duly accredited by NEA are legally authorised to carry out recruitment for overseas jobs.”
The agency also revealed that the NPS is intensifying its crackdown on unlicensed recruitment operators, and those found violating the law will face appropriate legal action.
Oversees job recruitment
This comes months after the Principal Secretary for the State Department for Labour and Skills Development, Shadrack Mwadime, reaffirmed the government’s dedication to reforming the overseas job recruitment industry to eliminate unscrupulous agencies.
Speaking on Thursday, May 22, 2025, during a graduation ceremony for 24 divers from Kerio Valley who completed rigorous training at Bandari Maritime Academy, the PS acknowledged the challenges faced by job seekers, noting that they have received numerous complaints from young people who have fallen victim to deceitful agencies.
“It is our responsibility as a government to clean up this sector. While local job opportunities may be scarce, there are prospects abroad,” he stated.
Mwadime pledged to continue the process of deregistering fraudulent agencies that exploit and deceive unsuspecting Kenyans seeking employment abroad under false pretences.
“To our youth, before you hand over your hard-earned money to any agency, please check the National Employment Authority website. Agencies marked in red are questionable and should be avoided, even if they advertise in print or on social media,” he advised.
“Conversely, those listed in black are legitimate. We acknowledge the challenges that exist; we encounter them daily. However, the government is intensifying its efforts because we understand that if we do not seek job opportunities for our youth, we will not fulfil the mandate for which we were elected,” he added.