The State Department for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs has raised concerns over the growing number of Kenyans falling victim to visa and job-related fraud linked to Oman, following a meeting between Kenyan and Omani officials.
The meeting, held on Thursday, February 5, brought together Deputy Director General Amb. Lindsay Kiptiness and Amb. Nasra Salim Mohamed Al-Hashmi, the Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to Kenya.
The officials addressed the plight of Kenyans who travelled to Oman expecting employment but later found themselves stranded after being misled by recruitment agents operating in Kenya.
The issue was flagged as a serious labour and migration concern requiring urgent attention.
"The meeting noted with concern the situation of several Kenyan nationals stranded in Oman and currently sheltering at the Kenya Embassy, having been defrauded by unscrupulous employment agents in Kenya on false promises of jobs in Oman," the department said.
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The Omani side clarified the country’s visa policy, stressing that some Kenyans had been misinformed about the legality of travelling to Oman on tourist visas to seek work.
As such, Ambassador Al-Hashmi issued a warning, and outlined the proper procedures for employment applications.
"The Omani Ambassador clarified that Oman does not issue tourist visas to Kenyans for employment purposes and advised that job applications should be pursued strictly through official and approved channels," the department added.
Beyond labour matters, the meeting also assessed the status of diplomatic and sectoral agreements that were initiated during earlier bilateral engagements between the two countries.
"The meeting reviewed progress made in the finalisation of various Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) and agreements agreed upon during the inaugural round of Political Consultations held in Oman in 2025," the department further said.
The officials noted that negotiations were advancing well across several strategic areas that are central to economic cooperation and investment between Kenya and Oman.
"It noted steady and positive advancement in concluding key instruments in priority sectors, including labour, agriculture and livestock, promotion and protection of investments, avoidance of double taxation, air services, and ports cooperation," the department noted.
Trade opportunities, particularly in agriculture, were also highlighted, with Oman expressing interest in sourcing more Kenyan produce.
"Al-Hashmi highlighted the growing demand in Oman for high-quality fresh produce from Kenya, including mangoes, avocados, potatoes, dried lime, passion fruit, and macadamia nuts, and encouraged Kenyan farmers to take advantage of the emerging market opportunities.
"Both envoys emphasized the importance of concluding a phytosanitary agreement on fresh produce to minimize barriers and facilitate smooth exports," the department explained.
This comes days after the Ministry of Labour uncovered a fraudulent overseas recruitment scheme involving forged documents and an unlicensed recruitment network targeting Kenyans seeking jobs in Oman.
In a statement on Friday, January 30, Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua said the scheme involved the recruitment of three women, Jeneffer, Matilda, and Caroline, who were scheduled to travel to Oman under what has now been confirmed as a fake process.
According to the report, the recruitment was conducted outside Kenya’s legal labour migration framework and relied on falsified government clearances.
The three job seekers were processed through an informal network rather than a licensed recruitment agency.
The primary local contact, Elijah’s Ticketing Tours, admitted to not holding a recruitment license, claiming instead that he only handled ticketing and reservations for what he described as 'direct hires.'
The report further names a Mohamed, allegedly based in Oman, as the foreign recruiter, while the local contact claimed that labour clearance and contract attestation were being handled by a supposed Ministry of Labour official identified as 'Raphael.'
However, investigations by the Ministry exposed multiple red flags.
"Verification with the Ministry’s Attestation Department confirmed that no officer by the name of Mr. Raphael exists within that unit. The stamps used on the recruitment documents are fake and did not originate from the Ministry of Labour," the report read.
Authorities also established that the alleged work visas were invalid.
"A search of the Oman e-Visa Portal returned no records for the said work visas," the report noted.
The Ministry concluded that the entire recruitment process was illegal and deliberately designed to bypass established migration safeguards.
"The recruitment process for Jeneffer, Matilda, and Caroline is fraudulent. The operation relies on forged Ministry of Labour clearances and unauthorised ticketing agents to bypass legal migration protocols, significantly increasing the risk of exploitation for the job seekers involved," the report further read.
