The Ministry of Labour and Social Protection has exposed a deceptive overseas recruitment operation utilizing counterfeit government documents, an unlicensed recruitment network, and misleading assertions of direct employment in Oman.
Based on an investigation report from January 30, 2026, the operation targeted numerous Kenyan job seekers preparing to travel abroad for employment. The investigation determined that the recruitment process violated legal migration protocols, placing the job applicants in significant danger of exploitation, human trafficking, and economic harm.
Officials confirmed that the stamps on the recruitment documents were counterfeit and not issued by the Ministry of Labour, while verification with the Ministry’s Attestation Department revealed that no authorized officer had processed or endorsed the clearances provided.
Investigators discovered that the recruitment was not conducted through a licensed Kenyan recruitment agency, as legally mandated. Instead, it was arranged through informal intermediaries who possessed no legal authority to recruit workers for overseas employment and depended on assertions of direct hiring to circumvent regulatory oversight.
The reports and contract documents presented to the job applicants were fraudulent. This determination came after the Ministry confirmed that the stamps and approvals on the documents were not issued by the Ministry of Labour and had not been processed by any authorized officer.
Examinations of the Oman e-Visa system also revealed no documentation of valid work visas associated with the recruitment, confirming that the promised employment opportunities had not been processed through legitimate immigration channels.
Additional verification of the Oman e-Visa portal similarly produced no records of valid work visas connected to the recruitment, confirming the documents were not authentic,” the ministry added.
The Ministry concluded that the operation was intentionally designed to circumvent established migration protections through the use of forged documents and unauthorized intermediaries, substantially elevating the risk of abandonment once job seekers traveled abroad.
Authorities have instructed those responsible for the scheme to present themselves to the DCI before summons are issued to locate and arrest those implicated.
Earlier in the month, the Ministry of Labour reported that over 680 unauthorized recruitment agencies had been deregistered for conducting business without proper licenses or violating labor regulations.
A multi-agency task force consisting of the DCI, the Asset Recovery Agency, and the National Employment Authority is currently investigating at least 390 agencies for fraudulent activities and irregular recruitment practices, with several significant cases already referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Job applicants have been advised to exercise caution when pursuing employment abroad and to utilize only licensed recruitment agencies. They should verify opportunities through official government platforms and refrain from making payments without appropriate documentation.