EACC Nabs Three Labour Ministry Officials at JKIA for Extorting Migrant Worker Agents

Three officials from the Ministry of Labour based at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) have been arrested by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) for allegedly extorting agents facilitating migrant workers travelling to the Middle East.

Kenyans.co.kehas learnt that the arrests followed a report to EACC alleging that Ministry of Labour officials at JKIA routinely solicit and receive bribes for each migrant worker travelling to the Middle East, prompting the commencement of an inquiry.

This saw EACC officers conduct surveillance and confirmed that, indeed, agents sending migrant workers to the Middle East were paying Ksh500 per worker before the workers were cleared to travel.

In an attempt to conceal the operation and guarantee its success, EACC worked with one of the agents to conduct an operation that sent 78 migrant workers to the Middle East on Sunday, where the three were apprehended.

''On November 30, 2025, the Commission carried out an operation in collaboration with one of the agents who had 78 migrant workers travelling to the Middle East. At JKIA, the agent met the three Labour Officers manning the booth, and after tabulating the total amount, the officers demanded and received Ksh34,000,'' the commission said.

During the operation, EACC investigators immediately moved in, arrested the suspects,and recovered the Ksh34,000 from them.

According to EACC, they were later escorted to the Integrity Centre for processing and statement recording and set to be released on a cash bail of Ksh50,000 each, pending completion of the investigation.

''The Commission reiterates its commitment to tackling bribery at service delivery points to restore public trust and improve access to quality services for all citizens,'' EACC assured.

The operation mirrored a similar one the commission undertook in February this year, when two Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) employees deployed as Customs Officers at JKIA were nabbed over bribery charges.

According to EACC, the two allegedly demanded a Ksh120,000 bribe as a condition for releasinggoods they had confiscated from a traveller.

The traveller, however, declined to pay the fee and instead contacted the Commission, which swung into action and nabbed them.

Thereafter, a search was conducted on the two employees' cars, and Ksh297,000, suspected to be proceeds of corruption, and a firearm were recovered.