Victims of an overseas job scam in Eldoret staged a citizen’s arrest last night at the home of a key suspect, handing him over to the police. The suspect, who operates a job recruitment firm in the city, had been evading capture amid allegations that he had defrauded job seekers in the region of over Sh500 million by promising them overseas employment.
After learning that the suspect was at his Pioneer Estate home with his family, some victims, including several women who had paid money to the firm, camped out at his residence. They were joined by private security officers and human rights advocate Kimutai Kurui to apprehend him.
The suspect initially avoided confrontation by remaining inside his home, but when he attempted to escape by cutting through the grills to his neighbor’s house early Sunday, he was pursued and detained by the victims. Virginia Kibe, one of the victims, explained that their frustration with the police’s inability to locate the suspect led them to take matters into their own hands.
Mzee Abel Chumba, another victim, revealed that he had paid over Sh450,000 for job placements for his two sons in Turkey and Australia. The residents then transported the suspect to Eldoret Central police station, where he is currently detained.
Kurui criticized local police for their slow response in addressing the fraud cases and highlighted the prevalence of illegal job recruitment agencies in Eldoret. He claimed there are over 50 such agencies operating without regulation, yet police action has been minimal. Uasin Gishu County police commander Benjamin Mwanthi countered by stating that eight suspects have already been arrested in connection with similar fraud cases.
