Kenya has sounded a warning over the increasing trafficking of its citizens to Southeast Asia, describing the trend as a sophisticated criminal network targeting vulnerable job seekers.
Speaking during the Second National Development Implementation Committee (NDIC) meeting in Nairobi on Wednesday, Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi said that at least 400 Kenyans have fallen victim to fraudulent recruitment schemes that promise well-paying jobs in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Myanmar.
He revealed that many end up trapped in what he termed as “conditions akin to modern slavery,” working under duress in cyber-scam operations, cryptocurrency fraud, and other forms of forced labour.
“It is a sophisticated menace where our citizens, often lured by fake online job advertisements and unscrupulous agents posing as recruiters in Thailand or Vietnam, are trafficked for exploitation,” Mudavadi said. “Many victims are coerced into online scamming, illegal cryptocurrency trade, and in some cases, organ trafficking.”
Rescues and growing concern
Since July 2022, Kenya’s embassy in Bangkok—which oversees operations in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia—has rescued and repatriated nearly 500 Kenyans caught in these criminal webs.
However, another 126 remain stranded in the region, with 57 in Myanmar and 69 in Thailand. Some are reportedly held by militia groups that control scam compounds in remote border towns.
Mudavadi recounted a recent case involving a Kenyan man who had been rescued from a scam ring in Thailand, only to be re-arrested after returning there with a forged immigration stamp.
“This shows that some victims are no longer innocent—they are now being absorbed into the criminal networks,” Mudavadi said, adding that this development poses a serious domestic threat as some may attempt to replicate the scams locally.
Government response and regional strategy
To counter the rising threat, Mudavadi announced that the government is planning an intensive public awareness campaign to educate citizens about fraudulent job offers abroad. He said the government is also working to tighten legal frameworks on labour export and recruitment agencies.
“The government will strengthen inter-agency cooperation, regulate foreign recruitment more strictly, and ensure every Kenyan travelling abroad for work is registered and traceable,” he stated.
He also emphasised the need to reintegrate rescued victims, noting that many return home traumatised and financially ruined. “Rehabilitation and reintegration are key. We must not allow our youth to become victims twice—first abroad, then at home,” Mudavadi said.
Kenya’s expanding diplomatic footprint
In a move to strengthen diplomatic and consular support for Kenyans in Asia, the government plans to open a new embassy in Hanoi, Vietnam—its fourth in the region after Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, and Jakarta.
According to the Foreign Affairs Ministry, the embassy will play a key role in monitoring migration patterns, supporting stranded citizens, and building bilateral ties that promote safe labour migration.
This development follows several high-profile cases, including the repatriation of a Kenyan toddler from Indonesia last month after her mother was jailed on immigration charges.
Mudavadi urged Kenyans to remain vigilant, adding that the government is working closely with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and Interpol to dismantle the networks behind the trafficking syndicates.
“This is not just a Kenyan problem. It is a transnational crisis requiring global cooperation,” he said.
