Over 500 youth from Coast region have appealed to the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection to intervene after months of delay in the overseas job placements under the Kazi Majuu programme.
The youths, who were recruited and processed by Zawadi Jobs Abroad Limited, say they have waited for over six months without travel, despite taking loans and submitting their passports to the agency as part of the agreed procedures.
The group is appealing to Labour CS Alfred Mutua to address the thorny issue, citing financial strains and lack of communication from the Agency.
Saada Imran, a resident of Mombasa County, said the prolonged delay has left many of them financially burdened and mentally distressed.
“We applied for these job opportunities and were assured we would travel within three months. It has now been more than half a year. We still have loans to pay to the Youth Fund, and the Agency keeps taking us round in circles,” she regretted.
She added that repeated attempts to get updates from the agency have been futile, saying officials give false promises and avoid addressing the concerns raised.
Najla Ibrahim, also from Mombasa, said the group was instructed to apply for Youth Fund loans of up to Sh200,000, money she later deposited into the agency’s bank account under the name Zawadi Jobs Abroad Ltd.
“We were told we would travel after three months, but every time we called, they told us to be patient. Meanwhile, we are struggling to repay loans, yet we don’t have passports or jobs,” she said.
She said each applicant paid about Sh181,300 to the agency for processing and placement.
Ms Ibrahim said they have also missed out on local job opportunities, having banked on the chance to work abroad. “We are requesting the government to intervene. If there are no opportunities, let them return our passports in good condition and refund the money to the Youth Fund so we can seek help from other credible agencies,” he said.
Nuru Hassan said the agency had initially assured applicants that they would fly by August. “Many of us are graduates without employment. We took loans believing the opportunities were genuine. Now, we no longer have hope. We are asking fellow youths and relevant authorities to help us amplify our voices,” she said.
Saida Muhammed from Kilifi echoed the concerns, noting that most of them had pinned their future on the programme. “We believed we would travel and work, but now we are stranded. We just want help from the government to ensure we get our rights,” she said.
By Rian Onyango and Hassan Bahati
