A committee probing the operations of First Choice Recruitment and Consultancy Agency has declared the company’s director Judy Jepchirchir a hostile witness.
Jepchirchir appeared before the Ainabkoi/Olare MCA Gilbert Chepkonga-led ad-hoc committee on Friday, February 3, 2023, but the session had to end prematurely, yet again.
This is after she was declared a hostile witness for failing to provide the committee with relevant documents that she had been asked to present.
The First Choice Recruitment agency lawyer Henry Kenei had protested the manner in which the committee was handling his client before it was declared that she was a hostile witness.
“We came to this committee because of an undertaking that proceedings would be done in compliance with rule of law and natural justice. However my client has been denied counsel, and an opportunity to consult her counsel,” said the lawyer in his protest.
“If that is the position and the committee cannot take our concerns on the proceedings. If we cannot stick to the undertaking given, going forward we request that we be excused from these proceedings,” he added.
Not satisfied with information
But responding to the protest, the ad-hoc committee chairperson insisted that they have handled the matter within the set laws and regulations.
He accused the company director of failing to provide the necessary documents that had been requested.
“This committee is not satisfied with the information furnished to us as requested. We’re aware there is no court order preventing you from giving us this information. Therefore, we’re left with no other choice but to declare you a hostile witness,” said the committee chairperson.
Among the documents the committee wanted to get from the agency included a status report of residents of Uasin Gishu who applied and proceeded to work in Qatar, those that applied and proceeded to further studies in Finland, Qatar and other countries abroad as well as those that applied but never travelled.
The committee also wanted a status report on the number of locals that had been refunded.
However, in her documents, the First Choice Director only presented details of 14 individuals that had been listed as petitioners, declining to share others on claims she is not allowed to as per Data Protection Laws.
Final report
With the director being declared a hostile witness, the 15-member committee will now proceed to draft its final report, without her input, which will be presented before the floor of the house within the next two weeks for debate – and either adoption or rejection.
It has been claimed that the company received millions of shillings from over 8,000 locals within the North Rift region that had applied for jobs in Qatar and other countries.
However, based on part of the documents she presented before the committee, only about 10 per cent of the applicants travelled abroad, with the rest yet to secure jobs.
Further, only 5 per cent of those that did not travel have been issued post-dated cheques.
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