Victims of Eldoret Scam Agency Arrest Proprietor as Human Rights Activist Vows Citizen Action Against Fraudulent Recruiters
“more than seven directors of different agencies have already been arrested, and they are currently facing active court cases.”
Timothy Kiyego Limo, one of the victims defrauded by Gifford Agencies, addressing the media at Eldoret Central Police Station on Sunday
Victims of an Eldoret-based scam agency have taken matters into their own hands, leading to the arrest of Tonny Wekesa Barasa, the proprietor of Gifford Agencies, at his residence in Pioneer Estate. The victims say they were forced to resort to drastic measures after months of frustration, during which law enforcement failed to apprehend the suspect despite multiple reports. According to the victims, Barasa had been evading capture for an extended period.
“We were left with no other choice but to begin following up on this man who had been escaping police arrest for some time now,” explained Virginia Kibe, one of the victims. “We monitored his movements, and after seeing him enter his house, we sought the support of private security officers to make the arrest,” she added. Kibe’s story is just one of many, as several others have come forward with similar claims of being defrauded by Gifford Agencies, which promised lucrative employment opportunities abroad in exchange for hefty payments.
Timothy Kipyego Limo, another victim, shared his experience, describing how he had paid a substantial deposit to Gifford Agencies with the hopes of securing an overseas job for his son. “I paid Ksh 450,000 to the agency as part of a deal to secure employment in Australia for my son. I was due to pay another Ksh 400,000 before I realized we had been scammed,” said Limo. The financial loss was devastating for him, as he had sold land and other valuable assets to raise the money. “In March last year, I sold my land and other properties to raise more than Ksh 400,000 to secure work opportunities in Australia and Turkey for my two sons. It all turned out to be in vain,” he lamented.
Other victims shared similar accounts of paying large sums of money to the agency, lured by promises of well-paying job opportunities in countries such as Canada, Australia, and Turkey. The victims said that they had been strung along for months, with the agency consistently making excuses for why the jobs had not materialized. When it became clear that they had been duped, many victims tried to seek justice through the police, but their efforts were reportedly ignored or delayed.
Local human rights activist Kimutai Kirui has publicly condemned junior officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) for failing to take timely action against the fraudulent agencies. Kirui emphasized that Eldoret has now become a “city of scams,” where fraudsters exploit vulnerable residents seeking employment abroad. “Compromised Junior DCI officers have let down the people of Eldoret by allowing these agencies to continue defrauding people. Innocent victims have lost millions, and yet justice has been repeatedly delayed largely by the ODPP and we demand an overhaul of that office here in Eldoret,” he said.
In a bold move, Kirui vowed that residents would no longer rely solely on the authorities to take action. Going forward, the activist said, the community would exercise the right to citizen’s arrest against directors of recruitment agencies that have been implicated in defrauding residents of millions of shillings. “We cannot sit back and wait for the police while more people are being duped. From now on, residents will take matters into their own hands and apprehend these fraudsters if the authorities fail to act swiftly,” Kirui declared.
The scale of the scam is vast, with many residents coming forward to report their experiences of being swindled by various unregistered agencies. The National Employment Authority (NEA), which is responsible for regulating overseas employment opportunities, has also been criticized for failing to vet and monitor these agencies properly.
However, in response to the mounting pressure from victims and activists, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations has now launched a crackdown on unregistered recruitment agencies across Eldoret and other parts of the country. The operation, conducted in collaboration with the NEA, aims to arrest individuals running illegal employment schemes. As part of the crackdown, more than seven directors of different agencies have already been arrested, and they are currently facing active court cases. The authorities are also investigating a network of agencies that may be involved in similar fraudulent activities, with a view to prosecuting those responsible and recovering stolen funds.
Tonny Wekesa Barasa, the arrested proprietor of Gifford Agencies, is currently being held at the Eldoret Central Police Station as investigations continue.
For many of the victims, though, the damage has already been done, and they are left grappling with the emotional and financial toll of the scam. The victims continue to call for swift justice and for stronger measures to be put in place to prevent others from falling prey to such schemes.
“We trusted these agencies with our futures and our hard-earned money, and we were deceived. It’s time the government took this seriously and protected its citizens,” said one victim, echoing the sentiments of many others affected by the scam.
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