EACC Arrests Ministry of Labour Officials at JKIA Over Migrant Worker Extortion

 

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has arrested three Ministry of Labour officials stationed at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) for allegedly extorting agents responsible for processing migrant workers traveling to the Middle East.

The arrests, conducted on 30 November 2025, followed intelligence and a formal complaint submitted to the Commission alleging that the officials had been demanding bribes from agents before migrant workers could be cleared for departure.

According to EACC, an inquiry was launched after reports indicated that officials were routinely soliciting payments from agents, with each migrant worker attracting a bribe of KSh500. Surveillance operations carried out by EACC investigators confirmed the allegations, revealing that the extortion scheme was an entrenched practice among the implicated officers.

The three officials taken into custody are:

1. Benson Ouma Okello

2. Esther Njoki Gakuru

3. Denis Marias

The Commission stated that the suspects will be processed and presented in court once investigations are completed, adding that the operation is part of a broader effort to curb corruption within institutions handling labour migration.

The EACC urged members of the public, especially those involved in labour placement and travel facilitation, to continue reporting corruption incidents to help dismantle networks that exploit vulnerable Kenyan workers seeking employment abroad.