A man accused of defrauding 29 Kenyans of approximately Sh15 million through a fraudulent overseas employment scheme has been arrested and charged in court after nearly two years on the run.
Isaac Kipkemei Barmasai, the sole director of Eldoret-based recruitment agency Proline Travel Advisors Limited, was arrested by detectives drawn from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Headquarters, Operations Action Team (OAT) and Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau (CRIB), working alongside officers from DCI Turbo.
According to the DCI, Barmasai is accused of running a fraudulent recruitment scheme targeting Kenyans seeking employment opportunities abroad.
Through his agency, he allegedly lured unsuspecting job seekers with promises of lucrative employment opportunities in Sweden, Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada.
However, the promised overseas placements allegedly failed to materialise despite victims paying substantial amounts of money to facilitate their recruitment and travel arrangements.
Investigations indicate that the alleged fraud was committed between 2023 and 2024, with individual victims losing amounts ranging from Sh200,000 to Sh1 million, purportedly as recruitment and processing fees.
So far, 29 victims have recorded statements with detectives, with the total reported losses estimated at approximately Sh15 million.
Following his arrest, Barmasai was presented before the Eldoret Law Courts on Friday, October 30, 2026, where he was charged with obtaining money by false pretences, contrary to Section 313 of the Penal Code.
The case is scheduled for mention on November 4, 2026.
The arrest comes amid continued warnings by authorities over fraudulent recruitment agencies exploiting Kenyans seeking employment opportunities outside the country.
The DCI has urged prospective migrant workers to exercise caution and verify the legitimacy of recruitment agencies and overseas job offers before making payments or surrendering personal documents.
The agency has particularly cautioned job seekers against paying large sums of money based solely on promises of employment, urging them to establish whether recruiters and advertised opportunities are genuine.
Members of the public who may have fallen victim to similar recruitment scams have been encouraged to report the incidents to detectives through the Fichua Kwa DCI anonymous toll-free hotline 0800 722 203 or WhatsApp number 0709 570 000.
The DCI says information from members of the public could help investigators identify other victims and pursue individuals suspected of exploiting job seekers through fraudulent overseas employment schemes.
