The director of an Eldoret-based recruitment agency accused of taking about Sh15 million from job seekers with promises of work abroad has been charged in court after nearly two years on the run, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has said.

Isaac Kipkemei Barmasai, the sole director of Proline Travel Advisors Limited, was arraigned at the Eldoret Law Courts on Friday and charged with obtaining money by false pretences under Section 313 of the Penal Code. The case will be mentioned on November 4. He is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The alleged scheme

According to the DCI, the agency lured job seekers between 2023 and 2024 with offers of employment in Sweden, Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada, collecting recruitment and processing fees from them. Detectives described the promised jobs as "nothing but a mirage."

  • 29 complainants have recorded statements with detectives
  • Each paid between Sh200,000 and Sh1 million
  • Total losses reported so far stand at about Sh15 million

The arrest was carried out by a joint team drawn from DCI headquarters, the Operations Action Team, the Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau and the DCI Turbo unit, Citizen Digital and People Daily reported.

Years of complaints

Victims of the agency had for years complained publicly that they were struggling to get their money back, and earlier media reports quoted job seekers who said they had made several reports to police without action. The National Employment Authority (NEA) had previously said the firm was deregistered and was no longer licensed to recruit workers for jobs abroad, while the director maintained in earlier interviews that it was a legally registered business.

Warning to job seekers

The case comes as thousands of young Kenyans chase jobs in the Gulf, Europe and North America, a demand that fraudsters have exploited through fake agencies and social media adverts. Kenyan authorities are also dealing with the fallout from brokers who lured hundreds of Kenyans into fighting for Russia under the guise of civilian jobs.

The DCI urged Kenyans to confirm that recruitment agencies are registered and licensed by the NEA, and to verify job offers through official channels before paying any fees. Job seekers should also be wary of agencies that demand large upfront payments, promise visas within unrealistic timelines or refuse to issue official receipts.

Anyone who believes they lost money to the agency has been encouraged to report to the nearest police station to support the prosecution.

Photos: Travis andre via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0); Vyneomondi via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Thumbnail design: HAMASTA MEDIA.