A recruitment agency director accused of defrauding Kenyans seeking employment abroad has been arrested after nearly two years on the run.
Isaac Kipkemei Barmasai, who heads Eldoret-based Proline Travel Advisors Limited, was apprehended by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters, the Operations Action Team, the Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau and DCI Turbo.
Investigators allege that Barmasai used his agency to deceive job seekers with promises of well-paying employment opportunities in Sweden, Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada. The promised jobs allegedly never materialised, leaving applicants who had paid recruitment and processing fees without the employment opportunities they had been promised.
Between 2023 and 2024, the suspects’ alleged victims paid amounts ranging from Sh200,000 to Sh1 million each. At least 29 people have since reported the matter to detectives, with the total amount lost estimated at Sh15 million.
Barmasai was presented before Eldoret Law Courts on Friday, October 30, 2026, where he was charged with obtaining money by false pretences, contrary to Section 313 of the Penal Code.
The case is scheduled for mention on November 4, 2026.
