The National Employment Authority will be disbanded if a motion by Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei sails through.
He said the motion seeks disband NEA's board and management over its failure to protect Kenyans from rogue employment agencies.
“We want to disband the management and the board to ensure we protect young people who have been conned and NEA has done little to protect them,” Cherargei said.
The move comes a day after the senate labour committee recommended disbandment of the authority’s board for failing to reign in on rogue agencies.
Senate Labour and Social Welfare Committee found Eldoret-based First Choice Recruitment and Consultancy Agency culpable of obtaining millions of shillings from youths for non-existent overseas jobs.
“The committee recommends that the Board of NEA be disbanded and reconstituted upon the tabling of this report,” the report states.
The report by the committee chaired by West Pokot Senator Julius Murgor the firm obtained money from about 5,000 youths aged between 25 and 35 to facilitate their placement for jobs and studies abroad.
This was during the start of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
“Despite the existence of legal framework to regulate and manage the foreign recruitment subsector and the existence of the NEA, rogue agencies continue to take advantage of gaps to the detriment of potential job seekers,” the report reads.
Cherargei said the committee’s report is a serious indictment on the conduct of the authority, which is charged with protecting Kenyans from rogue agencies.
“There are young people who are suffering overseas but NEA is doing little. NEA has never been protected them,” he said.
The vocal Nandi senator said he will come up with a NEA Act to tighten the loopholes rogue agencies have used to exploit desperate job seekers.
“We want to disband the management and the board to ensure we protect young people who have been conned and NEA has done little to protect them,” he said.
In August, Cotu called for the disbandment of the authority charged with licensing of enhancing access to employment for youth, minorities and the marginalised.
“Sadly, majority of Kenyans who have suffered from the actions by these rogue, yet protected employment agencies,” Cotu secretary general Francis Atwoli had said in a letter to the Senate.
“We, as Cotu, therefore call upon you and other senators to support us in the calls to disband NEA and make it a department within the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection.”
