A section of youths claiming to have been conned hundreds of shillings by an Eldoret-based recruitment agency – First Choice Recruitment and Consultancy – has vowed to continue staging demonstrations until they get justice.
The youth had planned to stage a peaceful demonstration in Eldoret town on November 24, 2022, but the police denied them permission.
There was a heavy presence of riot police officers at the venue the youths had anticipated to start their procession at Zion Mall, forcing them to hold the demos on the outskirts of the town.
In a media briefing during the protest, the youth narrated how they hustled to get the money, only to end up being conned by the agency.
“I paid over Ksh80,000. We are frustrated na tumefika mwisho,” said Yegon Cheruiyot who claims he had been promised to get a job in Qatar by the agency.
Yegon also questioned the decision by the police to deny them permission to hold a peaceful demonstration.
Refund
Pauline Ambaka, another one who claims to have been conned by First Choice Recruitment and Consultancy says her effort to seek a refund has hit a snag.
“This lady (Agency’s director) has conned over 4,000 of us. She took my Ksh44,000. We have asked that she returns the money but she keeps claiming she is the deep state,” Pauline noted.
“Kama pesa yetu haitatoka, we will hold demonstrations the whole month. Eldoret will not have peace,” she added.
Kevin Koech on his part narrated how his parents were forced to sell part of their land to secure the Qatar job, only to end up being conned by the agency.
“We’re hustlers. We paid our money. All of us cannot be lying about First Choice. We’re going to riot until we get justice,” Koech said.
Some of the youth complaining to have been conned by the agency have also claimed that the police officers have been intimidating them.
They now want President William Ruto to intervene and ensure they get their money back.
Further, the youth have dismissed claims by the First Choice Recruitment and Consultancy Director Judy Jepchirchir that she has been able to secure jobs for over 7,000 youths since it was opened.
CS Chelugui
Human Rights activist Kimutai Kirui who joined the youths for the peaceful demonstrations challenged Cabinet Secretary for Cooperatives and Micro and Small Enterprise Simon Chelugui to come clean on his links with the agency.
Chelugui was the chief guest when the agency was opening its offices in Eldoret town in 2021 when he was Labor CS.
Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandago, then the governor and billionaire businessman David Lagat also graced the event.
“Youths came in large numbers to the agency because they thought it was a genuine one after the CS opened it. We want him to come out and say he was not part of the syndicate,” Kirui said.
The agency has since closed down its office in Eldoret town.
