Alfred Mutua Clears The Eldoret Employment Agency’s Ksh 400M Scam Involvement
Alfred Mutua, the Labour Cabinet Secretary nominee, has distanced himself from an Eldoret-based employment agency accused of swindling Kenyans.
The agency, which is currently under fire for its questionable recruitment practices, has been accused of exploiting job seekers by promising them overseas employment opportunities that never materialized. The entire scandal is valued at Ksh400 million.
Mutua spoke before the Committee on Appointments on Sunday, clarifying his lack of involvement with the agency and recounting a brief encounter with one of its representatives.
“I had never met this lady in my life,” Mutua denies knowing Miss Judith of First Choice Employment Agency who is suspected of conning petitioners in Uasin Gishu County out of their money pic.twitter.com/ojvzCjpWVV
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) August 4, 2024
“When it comes to the issues that you mentioned, I remember that we had an event at KICC and there were different stands; the stand for foreign affairs was next to that of the Ministry of Labour and I had never met this lady in my life but she was the one showcasing what the Ministry of Labour had done and the programme they had,” he said.
Mutua stated that during the event, he was asked to introduce President William Ruto to various exhibitors, including a representative from the Ministry of Labour.
“When the president came, we were told to combine the two issues at that time, and so I was introducing the president to the people who were presenting.
“I didn’t even know her name and she introduced herself; that is the only time I met her and after that meeting, I have never met her again,” Mutua responded
He was responding to claims that he had introduced the lady to the Head of State. The lady in question is the focus of the scandal.
Mutua emphasized his commitment to addressing the issue of rogue employment agencies, citing his previous efforts as Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary.
“I do not have any conflict of interest. I came to see her stories later on,” he stated.
“When I was in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I even called a meeting in light of rogue employment agencies and it is an issue that I will be dealing with.”
The Labour CS nominee’s comments came amid growing reports of job seekers being duped by unscrupulous recruitment firms, particularly those claiming to offer lucrative positions abroad.
Mutua also addressed the broader issue of employment opportunities for Kenyans, emphasizing the importance of genuine and dignified job placements abroad.
“Kenyans don’t want handouts. They want to be given opportunities. There is a mistaken idea that many jobs out there are househelp jobs.”
“I did research and countries such as Australia, Germany, Italy, and the US are ready to employ Kenyans. For example, the international community is looking for 11,200 drivers,” he noted.
Alfred Mutua Clears The Eldoret Employment Agency’s Ksh 400M Scam Involvement
