The government has ordered rogue employment recruitment agents to refund money to job seekers or be taken to court.

Labour and Skills Development principal secretary Shadrack Mwadime will restructure the recruitment process to weed out rogue recruitment agencies.

Speaking at the Bandari Maritime Academy (BMA) on the sidelines of a graduation ceremony for divers yesterday, Mwadime also advised job seekers to go for approved recruitment agents to avoid being conned.

He advised job seekers to go to the National Employment Authority (NEA) website and get the recommended recruitment agents instead of dealing with unregistered individuals.

“We are going to regulate and restructure the recruitment process. We are asking the rogue recruitment agents to refund the money or be taken to court,” he stated.

He was flanked by BMA chief executive officer Dr Eric Katana and Coast regional president of the Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE) Dr David Kisa, among others.

Mwadime, however, said the government will not venture into the recruitment of workers but will use registered private agents to place the workers in foreign jobs.

“The government will facilitate by bringing the agents together and regulating the recruitment process,” he said.

According to the PS, the government was keen to clear the recruitment process of cartels and ensure job seekers do not lose their money.

He noted that agents who are marked red on the NEA website are questionable, and job seekers should seek advice from the government to avoid being cheated.

A recent report by Amnesty International indicated that Kenyan women working as domestic workers in Saudi Arabia had shared harrowing accounts of abuse, including sexual assault, at the hands of their employers.

The report, titled Locked In, Left Out: The Hidden Lives of Kenyan Domestic Workers in Saudi Arabia, documents the experiences of at least 72 women who suffered severe exploitation under the country’s sponsorship system.

In the report, the victims said the recruiters sold them a dream of prosperity, only for them to end up in a nightmare of severe abuses.

Most of them were subjected to forced labour, racism, isolation, and abuse, both verbal and physical.

To prevent exploitation, he added that the Ministry of Labour has launched a sensitisation campaign and partnered with NEA to publish a list of rogue recruitment agencies to protect job seekers.

The NEA’s Integrated Management System (NEA-IMS) enables job seekers to verify agencies before engaging with them.

“We are committed to ensuring our youths travel through recognised agencies and obtain valid work permits. We urge job seekers to avoid unregistered agents,” Mwadime warned recently.

He cautioned against agencies that deceive applicants with visitor visas instead of legitimate work permits, leading to cases where Kenyans get stranded abroad.

As part of the migration readiness programme, candidates undergo pre-departure training to equip them with knowledge of foreign work regulations and

The ministry has also emphasised the need for proper documentation — including rider licences for delivery jobs in Dubai — and urged skilled youths to take certification exams to boost their employability.

“Our young people are energetic, disciplined, and hard-working. They can perform their duties as expected. We are investing in their readiness so they can thrive abroad,” said the PS.