The government has deregistered twenty recruitment agencies to curb the proliferation of agencies facilitating job seekers seeking to travel abroad.
Appearing before the National Assembly Committee on Diaspora Affairs and Migrant Workers, National Employment Authority (NEA)Director-General Edith Okoki decried that government offices were curtailing their efforts to streamline the sector.
She stated that efforts to impede the undertakings of rogue operations of recruitment agencies are a conflicted issue following interference by influential offices.
“It was difficult to regulate some of these recruitment agencies because some of the owners had high connection in high offices.”
Further, she repealed that rogue companies have been hoodwinking Kenyans by collecting money from youth to offer them business opportunities abroad.
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NEA Director-General disclosed that the dubious companies who have been deregistered have been seeking fresh registration using different names to steal from unsuspecting Kenyans.
“The last two years have not been easy. Some of the people that we were having issues with had access to high offices…others, once deregistered would attempt to come back with different names.”
The companies include Gulfway Recruitment Company Ltd, Royal Capital Placement Ltd, Geoverah Africa Safaris Ltd, First Choice Recruitment and Consultancy Ltd, and Geoverah Agency Ltd.
The list also includes Daawo Holdings Ltd, Makungu International Ltd, Talent Gateaway Ltd, Jakartya Ventures Ltd,Skill Dove Ltd,Gifted Minds Tours Travel Ltd, Tangofox Ltd, and Alemtyaz Travel Agent Ltd.
Rhodevo International Ltd, Flexturch Recruitment Ltd , Omran Aly Agencies Ltd, Alsari International Ltd, Leisamis Recruiters Ltd and Skyward Global Dimensions Ltd have also been listed.
First Choice Recruitment Company, based in Uasin Gishu county, was highlighted as one of the companies that attempted to get back in the diaspora recruitment sector by seeking fresh registration under Royal Capital Placement company.
“Uasin Gishu county has a lot of problems at the moment because the agencies are saying they are taking people out of the country for education.When we closed First Choice,the owners tried to open a company under Royal Capital Placement company, but we denied them the certificate,”Okoki averred.
The committee chairperson, Taita Women Representative Mizighi Lydia Haika, sought to know why the twenty companies were de-registered.
“Can you elaborate on these twenty agencies that you say were deregistered? Why exactly were they revoked?” posed Haika.
The NEA Director-General insisted that they scrutinize non-compliant recruitment agencies using investigative details shared by the National Intelligence Service.
“For some of the agencies, we get direct instructions from the National Intelligence Service (NIS) to deregister their certificates of operations."
