Victims left in debt and despair as calls for justice go unanswered
By Lucky Sidney Mulerah
A wave of anguish and anger is sweeping through Eldoret as dozens of desperate job seekers come forward to expose a suspected overseas recruitment scam orchestrated by a local firm—Pro Line Travel Advisors Limited—which has left victims financially ruined and emotionally shattered.
Promising lucrative job placements in countries like Canada and Sweden, the firm is now at the center of a multi-million shilling fraud investigation. Victims allege that instead of employment opportunities, they received fake documents, misleading WhatsApp messages, and empty reassurances. In some instances, they say the firm did not even bother to offer explanations after collecting large sums of money.
Once known as the City of Champions, Eldoret is now gaining a darker reputation as a hotbed for recruitment scams. The latest allegations carry disturbing weight, with accusations of police inaction and possible collusion.
“Alikuja akaconvince baba akasema anapeleka watu Canada. Shamba imeenda… mimi sijaenda Canada, niko jobless. Nimejiambia nitaanza kuuza kidney nirudishie babangu hio pesa,”
— Cynthia Chemtai, victim from Chereng’any
Cynthia Chemtai’s story is one of heartbreak and desperation. After quitting her job and selling her family’s only piece of land to fund what she believed was a visa to Canada, she remains unemployed in Kenya, two years later. Her father is yet to recover the money, and the family’s ancestral land is gone.
Another victim, Jacqueline Chekoech from Yamumbi estate, borrowed KES 400,000 from friends, family, and a Sacco to fund her husband’s journey to Sweden. All she received was a photo of a visa on WhatsApp.
“We’re still repaying loans from friends, family, and Saccos. We were never given a proper visa—just a photo. It was a complete scam,” Chekoech said bitterly.
Despite the filing of multiple police reports and a 2022 court order directing the arrest of Pro Line’s director, Isaac Barmasai, victims say no action has been taken.
“Tulipeleka kesi kotini. Mahakama ikaamuru Barmasai alipe pesa. Order ilitolewa tarehe 23, lakini mpaka sasa hajashikwa,” said Ruto, another affected resident.
While Barmasai maintains that Pro Line is a legally registered business, the National Employment Authority (NEA) has confirmed that the company was deregistered and is no longer licensed to conduct recruitment operations.
The unfolding scandal has reignited debate over the lack of regulation and weak enforcement in Kenya’s private recruitment sector. It also raises urgent questions about the role of law enforcement and the judiciary in protecting vulnerable citizens from exploitative schemes.
For the dozens of affected families, the damage is not just financial—it is deeply emotional.
With lost property, mounting debts, and broken trust, the victims of the Eldoret job scam continue to call for justice, accountability, and urgent government action to crack down on rogue recruiters who prey on the dreams of young Kenyans.
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