US report flags Kenya’s failure to act on officials linked to human trafficking

NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 9 — Kenya has failed to report meaningful enforcement action against public officials and recruitment agencies allegedly linked to human trafficking, with a new United States report warning that official complicity continues to undermine the country’s efforts to prosecute the crime.

The 2026 Trafficking in Persons Report said Kenyan authorities investigated three Ministry of Labour officials suspected of accepting bribes to facilitate potential trafficking involving migrant workers travelling to the Middle East, but highlighted broader concerns over alleged collusion between public officials and recruitment networks.

The report also found that the government had not reported action against recruitment agencies allegedly owned by government employees and suspected of facilitating trafficking, with authorities frequently pursuing lesser offences such as failure to register recruitment companies.

“Corruption and official complicity in trafficking crimes remained significant concerns, inhibiting law enforcement action during the year,” the report stated.

The findings raise questions about accountability within institutions responsible for regulating overseas recruitment and protecting Kenyans seeking employment abroad.

Media reports cited in the assessment indicated that more than 10 per cent of Kenyan government officials held ownership interests in private employment agencies, including firms recruiting migrant workers for jobs overseas, creating potential conflicts of interest.

Observers also alleged that criminal syndicates colluded with law enforcement and immigration departments at border checkpoints and airports to transport trafficking victims into and within Kenya.

The report further cited allegations that some Kenyan embassy officials in Saudi Arabia demanded sex or cash payments from women seeking government assistance to escape abusive employers and return home.

The allegations come against the backdrop of declining anti-trafficking prosecutions and convictions.

Kenya convicted six traffickers in 2025, down from 21 in 2024, while prosecutions fell from 44 cases to 14.

The government investigated 43 trafficking cases during the year, compared with 42 in 2024.

The report also detailed allegations involving the fraudulent recruitment of more than 1,000 Kenyan men to fight for the Russian military in the war against Ukraine, with officials reporting that Kenyan and Russian officials had colluded with illicit recruiters to facilitate the recruitment.

Despite the concerns, Kenya remained on Tier 2 in the US assessment, which recognises significant efforts to combat trafficking while finding that the government has not fully met the minimum standards for eliminating the crime.

The report credited Kenya with identifying more victims, repatriating citizens exploited in overseas online scam operations, and securing its first civil judgment against a fraudulent recruiter.

However, it said persistent concerns over official complicity continued to hamper law enforcement and victim identification, while protection services for adult survivors remained limited.