Uasin Gishu Residents Protest Being Conned By First Choice Agency, Claim They Were Promised Jobs Abroad

• The residents stated that they paid various amounts to First Choice Recruitment and Consultancy Kenya to be taken abroad
• Priscilla Makoha, a hawker in the town, claimed that she paid the agency KSh 437 000 for her son to be airlifted to Poland
• She claimed that the agency's founder and director, Judy Jepchirchir, is well-connected, adding that she calls herself the deep state

Uasin Gishu - A section of Eldoret residents are up in arms protesting against First Choice Recruitment and Consultancy Kenya.

Ahead of an inquiry by the Senate Standing Committee on Labour and Social Welfare at the Uasin Gishu County Assembly, a group of residents decried being scammed by the recruitment agency.

Priscilla Makoha, a hawker in the town, claimed that she paid the agency KSh 437 000 with the hope that her child would be airlifted to Poland.

The distraught lady said she took a loan and had been struggling to pay it off, adding that the company's manager is well-connected to powerful individuals.

Makokha claimed that the founder and director, Judy Jepchirchir calls herself deep-state, adding that her employees keep telling her that there is nothing she can do about it.

"Ukienda ofisi yake uchukue pesa anakusukuma, watu wake wanakusuma wanakuambia hakuna mahali utampeleka. She calls herself deep state. Watu wake wanasema she's deep state that watu waende Senate ni mchezo wanafanya they are dramas. Recently I was there watu wake wakanisukuma wakaniambia niende Senate inepee pesa," she lamented.

How does Makokha pay off loan

The mother cried out that she's been struggling to pay off the loan she had taken with the hopes of her son getting a job in Poland.

Makokha said the issue had taken a toll on her mental health, adding that she's not able to sleep.

"Nimechukua loan two years ago, I've been paying. Mimi sina ati nina kitu kizuri naezasema ninafanya ambayo inaeza lipa hii loan. Hii pesa nimelipa na mtu anakunywa chai mahali na mimi kwangu hata sijui maziwa, sijui bei ya nyama, Watoto wangu wako na stress. Mimi mwenyewe niko na stress I cannot even sleep at night," she added.

Her story was echoed by numerous residents who appeared for the Senate hearing as they hoped to get their funds back.

Another lady, Priscilla Chepkorir, said she was going to the UK and had paid KSh 240,000, adding that it pains her to see her father's health deteriorate.

Mombasa travel agent in court

In a separate incident, a travel agent in Mombasa faced fraud charges for milking a man KSh 210,000, with a promise of getting him a visa to Israel.

The court was informed that Ndemo, on diverse dates between November 7, 2020, and September 2022, with others not before the court, fraudulently obtained KSh 210,000 from John Ndirangu Githinji through pretence.

The accused person is said to have promised to assist Githinji in processing his travelling documents and visa to grant him entry into Israel.