The long arm of the law has finally caught up with the elusive "Bonnie and Clyde" of Kenya’s recruitment underworld. Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have arrested a husband and wife duo accused of swindling desperate job seekers out of Sh20 million (approx. USD 130,000) in the infamous "Kazi Majuu" fraud.

Vincent Omondi Oyugi and his wife, Rachael Njoki Kariuki, were apprehended on Wednesday night following a high-speed cat-and-mouse game across Nairobi. The couple, directors of the dubious Zawadi Jobs Abroad Ltd, had gone underground after defying direct summons from Labour Cabinet Secretary Dr. Alfred Mutua.

Merchants of Misery

The arrest exposes the rotting underbelly of the labour migration sector. The suspects allegedly partnered with Briven International and Taushi Tours and Travel to run a Ponzi-like scheme, promising non-existent jobs in the Middle East and Europe. They collected passport fees, medical charges, and "facilitation fees" ranging from Sh150,000 to Sh300,000 per head, only to vanish into thin air.

“These are merchants of misery who eat the sweat of poor parents selling their only cows to send children abroad,” a furious CS Mutua said, commending the DCI’s swift action. “Their days of playing hide-and-seek with the government are over.”

The Anatomy of the Scam

Investigators have revealed a sophisticated operation that exploited the government’s own "Kazi Majuu" branding to appear legitimate. Key evidence seized includes:

• Forged Contracts: Dozens of fake employment letters bearing the letterheads of fictitious companies in Dubai and Qatar.
• The Youth Fund Connection: The couple is also under investigation for allegedly misappropriating Sh18 million from the Youth Enterprise Development Fund, intended for legitimate migration support.
• Ghost Offices: Their registered office in Nairobi’s CBD was found abandoned, with angry victims camping outside for weeks.

The two are currently being processed at DCI headquarters on Kiambu Road and will be arraigned tomorrow to face charges of obtaining money by false pretense and operating an unlicensed recruitment agency. For the hundreds of youths whose dreams were sold to the highest bidder, this arrest is the first step toward restitution.