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Jobs abroad from Kenya: checks before you travel for work
What an agency needs to send you abroad, the contract details the Employment Act requires for work outside Kenya, and the law on passports and trafficking.
Jobs in the Gulf and elsewhere can change a family's income, and they attract the most dangerous scams in Kenyan recruitment. The law gives you specific things to check before you pay or travel. Here they are.
The agency must be registered for that country
An agency's registration certificate states the area, including any foreign country, where it may do business (Labour Institutions Act, section 56(6)(d)). Ask to see it and check that it names the country you are going to.
Ask for the agency's registration number and the name of the employer abroad, and check both before you pay any money.
What the contract must state
Where an employee is required to work outside Kenya for more than a month, section 10(3)(f) of the Employment Act requires the written particulars to state, among other things, how long you will work outside Kenya and the currency you will be paid in, with any additional pay or benefits.
- The employer's name and address abroad.
- Your job title and duties.
- Pay, the currency and how often you are paid.
- Hours, rest day and leave.
- Who pays for travel, accommodation and the return ticket.
Your passport stays yours
Under section 8 of the Counter-Trafficking in Persons Act, confiscating or concealing another person's identity or travel documents to prevent them leaving the country or seeking help is an offence punishable by at least ten years in prison, a fine of at least KSh 10 million, or both. Running a recruitment agency to promote trafficking is a separate offence under section 5.
Keep copies of your passport, visa, contract and the agency's details with family at home, and save the number of the Kenyan embassy or consulate in the country you are going to.
Red flags
- A visa or ticket that does not match the job you were promised.
- Pressure to pay quickly or to travel on a visit visa for work.
- No written contract until you arrive.
- An agency that will not show its registration certificate.
No real job is sold. If anyone asks you to pay to be hired, it is a warning sign.
Sources and further reading
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Frequently asked questions
How do I know an agency can send me abroad?
Its registration certificate must state the area, including any foreign country, where it may do business (Labour Institutions Act, section 56(6)(d)).
Can an employer or agent keep my passport?
Confiscating someone's travel documents to stop them leaving or seeking help is an offence under section 8 of the Counter-Trafficking in Persons Act.
What must my contract say for work abroad?
For work outside Kenya over a month, section 10(3)(f) of the Employment Act requires the period, the currency of pay and any additional pay or benefits.