Senator Orwoba, CS Mutua Clash Over Alleged Scam in Kenya’s Overseas Job Programme

Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua has moved to reassure Kenyan job seekers that the government’s overseas employment programme is legitimate and still active, despite recent public outcry over delays and claims of fraud.

Speaking before the Senate Labour and Social Welfare Committee, Mutua addressed allegations that the programme had failed thousands of youth and turned into a scam. He firmly dismissed the accusations and explained that the challenges experienced so far stemmed from logistical setbacks.

Logistical Challenges Causing Delays in Deployment

Mutua explained that the overseas job placement process involves multiple stages—including registration, medical examinations, documentation, and coordination with foreign employers. These steps, he noted, can take time to complete, particularly when processing large groups of applicants.

The CS also pointed out that some candidates failed their medical tests, while others lacked funds to process key documents. A few applicants, he said, chose to withdraw at the last minute after changing their minds about relocating abroad.

Despite these setbacks, Mutua maintained that the ministry had already facilitated travel for many successful applicants and continued to process new cases.

Mutua’s appearance came in response to mounting complaints from job seekers who said they had been duped by agents claiming to represent the government. Some of the victims reported paying between Ksh15,000 and Ksh55,000, only to learn that the job offers were fake.

While acknowledging the concerns, Mutua clarified that most of the complaints arose from earlier recruitment drives targeting the Middle East. He admitted that some initial job offers failed to meet Kenya’s labour standards—particularly in terms of salary—and had to be renegotiated.

“You are leaving your family and your country, so the salary has to be higher than what you would earn locally. It took time because they went and renegotiated for a raise in salary” Mutua stated.

He revealed that government officials successfully pushed for improved salary packages and proper offer letters from the foreign employers involved.

Qatar Job Offers Rolled Out in Phases

Providing updates on job placements in Qatar, Mutua said that although the government had received 3,000 applications, only about 1,000 job offers had been received and processed so far. He explained that deployment was being done in stages, and people were travelling based on placement schedules.

“Travelling for overseas jobs is a process. We received slightly above 1,000 job offers, and the processing began. Since then, people have been travelling,” he said.

Mutua added that recruits were briefed and trained before deployment. Most of the job opportunities, he noted, were tied to a Qatari company with business operations across the Middle East and North Africa.

Refunds Issued to Withdrawn Applicants

Mutua further disclosed that the ministry refunded individuals who chose to opt out of the programme—excluding the cost of medical tests, which were non-refundable. He also mentioned that others had been offered alternative job placements or chose to wait for future openings.

“Some applicants who changed their minds got their money back. Others accepted different jobs or are waiting for new opportunities,” he said.

Mutua Clashes With Senator Orwoba

During the same session, the CS pushed back against Nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba, who had claimed the Labour Mobility Programme was a scam that exploited desperate youth.

Orwoba alleged that 1,000 young people had borrowed loans from the Youth Fund in the hope of securing jobs abroad, only to be disappointed. She also accused the ministry of ignoring the plight of applicants who had turned to shylocks and microfinance lenders to finance their travel and paperwork.

Mutua strongly denied the claims and challenged the senator to provide proof.

“We challenge her to table the names of the 1,000 people she claims were conned after receiving Youth Funds and the name of the ‘silent agent’ she alleges has since gone quiet,” he said in a letter addressed to Senate Speaker Amason Kingi.

He dismissed the shylock and microfinance loan claims as “fabrications designed to mislead the Senate and the public.”

“Let her also provide evidence of the so-called thousands she claims to have received loans from shylocks and microfinance institutions. We wish to share with the Senate that all this is a fabrication meant to mislead the House and the Kenyan public in a bid to gain popularity and political mileage,” he said.

Accusations of Political Grandstanding and Intimidation

Mutua went further to accuse Senator Orwoba of intimidating Labour Ministry officials and politicizing the job placement programme. He alleged that Orwoba had threatened him personally and made inappropriate references to President William Ruto.

“Senator Gloria Orwoba also threatened me when I told her to stop harassing my officers. She told me that she will deal with me by teaching me a lesson. The Senator also added, and I quote: ‘Kasongo is going down and I will not go down with him’, referring to H.E. the President.. She made the comment while I was with Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya,” he told the committee.

He also accused the senator of coaching youth to give false testimonies to the media and offering financial incentives like bus fare and accommodation to skew public opinion.

“Her feelings of entitlement have even led her to coach people to mislead media houses. She has compromised the youth to appear in media interviews. She financed youths by giving them money as ‘bus fare’ and ‘accommodation’ so that they could take a negative stance and mislead Kenyans. We will table the evidence,” Mutua stated.

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