Rogue recruitment agencies, past scandals haunt Mutua in Cabinet vetting

Labour and Social Protection CS nominee Dr Alfred Nganga Mutua before the Committee on Appointments at County Hall, Nairobi. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

On Sunday, August 4, Alfred Mutua, the nominee for Cabinet Secretary for Labour and Social Protection, faced tough questions during the Cabinet nominees vetting exercise.  

For over two hours, Mutua addressed concerns from the Committee on Appointments about his alleged links to Judy Jepchirchir, the director of the controversial First Choice recruitment agency, as well as his plans for job creation and past scandals during his tenure as Machakos Governor and as Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Tourism ministries.

Mutua denied any association with Jepchirchir, stating that he only met her once at a public function at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) last year, which was also attended by President William Ruto.

Jepchirchir’s firm, First Choice Recruitment Agency, gained notoriety last year after allegations surfaced that it had defrauded young people of millions of shillings by promising them overseas jobs.

“I have never met this lady in my life. She was showcasing their program at KICC. I didn't even know her name. That was the only time I met her. After that meeting, I have never met her again. I saw her stories later on,” Mutua claimed.

Parents who had paid money to secure jobs for their children demanded refunds after the promised positions failed to materialise.

Mutua told the vetting committee that, if confirmed, he would enforce the rule of law and conduct compliance checks to prevent similar incidents and protect Kenyans from falling victim to fraudulent schemes.

Past controversies

He also addressed past controversies from his time as Machakos Governor and his roles in the Foreign Affairs and Tourism ministries.

He clarified that he had been misquoted regarding a job creation program involving the Canadian government last year.

The former Tourism CS, spoke to his interest in film, particularly his creation of the popular hit-series Cobra Squad. He stated that it was a personal initiative and that he did not use public funds for its production.

“Cobra Squad was a personal initiative. I bought my Nairobi house using proceeds from the film. It was a big success,” he said.

"I was approached by the registrar of births and was told that there was going to be a problem, that a lot of the children being born in Machakos are being named after me. But I said they're not mine, but only that they were born in ambulances that were in use during my term,"… pic.twitter.com/3QdRLV4v1F — KTN News (@KTNNewsKE) August 4, 2024

Labor Disputes, Migration

If approved, Mutua vowed to implement a tracking system to address labor disputes across various sectors. He explained that the system would allow the ministry to intervene before strike notices are issued, helping to resolve the issue of frequent industrial strikes in the country.

“We need to intervene before a strike notice is issued. We will do a landscape assessment and set up an early warning system. I will maintain an open-door policy for different sectors to come and talk to me. The working conditions of workers will be a key focus in my plan,” he stated.

Regarding job creation, Mutua highlighted the need to cut through bureaucracy and expedite labor migration agreements.

“We are not just sending Kenyans to do jobs overseas. We want to create jobs here. We will outsource so that people can work from here for foreign firms.”

His response addressed concerns about the government sending Kenyans abroad for jobs where they are mistreated, while the domestic workforce in Kenya remains underserved.

Net worth

Mutua’s net worth has grown by Sh42m in two years to Sh462m. He was worth Sh420 million when he was last vetted in 2022.

He attributed the increase to land value and assets such as homes, farming projects, and businesses.

Mutua was being vetted for the position of Labour Cabinet Secretary.