Senate visits Eldoret over First choice alleged fraud!

The Senate Standing Committee on  Labour and Social Welfare  will on Monday 3^rd  and 4^th of this month meet victims of  alleged  fraud by the First Choice recruitment  and consultancy agency in Eldoret.

The sittings  expected  to be held in Uasin Gishu county will enable more  petitioners of the said  fraud  air  their grievances  and provide more evidence to the committee  pursuant to a Petition filed in the  Senate by the petitioners through a human right activist Kimutai Kirui .

“We urge all victims to appear before the committee, this is the only way to get Justice,DCI officers from the Economic crime unit are  currently recording statements from victims at the Eldoret Central Police  station,we also implore upon those who have not  recorded their statements to do so”Opined Kimutai

The sittings will be conducted jointly with the  Uasin Gishu County assembly Committee on Labour and  social welfare.

Previously  an Ad-hoc Committee of the County Assembly  had dealt with a  similar  petition and  their report  findings are yet to be implemented by the Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii as well as other  government  agencies  including the Inspector General of  Police .

The report by the committee led by the Chair Gilbert Chepkonga Had directed that the Uasin Gishu County Government to immediately revoke the Agency’s business permit and ordered that the Inspector General of Police should ensure that the  over 8,000 victims of the arranged  fraud were fully  compensated of their monies and  their  travel documents handed back.

The committee established that the agency defrauded the victims over Sh 320M.

The  First Choice manager Judy Jepchirchir was  also declared hostile by the  committee after  she was  stood  down for failing to comply.

Uasin Gishu senator Jackson Mandago,Businessman David Lagat and Cabinet Secretary for Cooperatives and  SMES Simon Chelugui have been  mentioned in the petition.

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Eldoret Media Hub

Eldoret Media Hub, a working space for journalists based in Uasin Gishu County set up by the Uasin Gishu Journalists Association (UGJA) through a Media Council of Kenya (MCK) grant.
The facility was officially opened in August 2021 by the MCK Chief Executive Officer David Omwoyo.

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