Shock As Alleged Scammer Judy Chepchirchir Headlines Ruto’s ‘Kazi Majuu’ Initiative

Yesterday President William Ruto ‘Gava Mkononi’ an initiative that aims to digitize 5000 government services made accessible on the E-Citizen platform, to enhance service delivery, increase revenue collection, promote transparency, and eliminate corruption.

Ministries, Departments, and Agencies are now onboarding respective services with the hopes in a significant spike in revenue generate from levies and fees charged for government services.

During the launch, Dr. Alfred Mutua, the CS of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs announced his ministry’s initiative dubbed ‘Kazi Majuu’ where he explained that Kenyans looking for opportunities abroad would log in to the e-Citizen portal and find available opportunities and to make it look more attractive the portal is to include information about genuine agents with job connections abroad. In this he explained to the president that unscrupulous agents would be cut out of the ecosystem that has recently seen many youths lose millions to fraudsters.

Alfred Mutua: We have come up with a platform, Kazi Majuu, whereby Kenyans can go online and look for job opportunities all over the world. If an agent is not listed in this system, you don’t trust them pic.twitter.com/zyFV2YS9Mm

— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) June 30, 2023

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However, there was a problem, Judy Jepchirchir whom the CS fronted as the face of genuine agents is herself a subject of fraud and has been under investigations for scamming youths with nonexistent jobs.

Judy (circled) during the Gava Mkononi launch with CS Mutua.

Early last month, the Inspector General of Police Japheth Koome revealed that the police are investigating First Choice Recruitment Agency for allegedly scamming youths millions in Eldoret.

Appearing before the Senate Committee on Labour and Social Welfare, Koome promised to ensure that suspects involved in the financial fraud of more than 5,000 youths in Eldoret are brought to book.

Koome informed the Committee that nearly 300 victims of the First Choice Recruitment Agency have already recorded their statements with the National Police Service financial fraud investigators from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).

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First Choice Recruitment Agency registered under two directors namely Judy Jepchirchir and Faith Waringa Gichuhi allegedly scammed youths by purporting to secure jobs and study placements on their behalf in Qatar during the 2022 World Cup. pic.twitter.com/8PO8JzjvXK

— National Police Service-Kenya (@NPSOfficial_KE) June 9, 2023

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According to the police, preliminary investigations indicate that last year, First Choice Recruitment Agency registered under two directors namely Judy Jepchirchir and Faith Waringa Gichuhi allegedly scammed youths by purporting to secure jobs and study placements on their behalf in Qatar during the 2022 World Cup.

Each youth allegedly paid Ksh 40,000 and surrendered their passports to the agency, but failed to secure either jobs or study placement.

Her inclusion in the program didn’t go without attracting attention and criticism.

The lady in red is First Choice director Judy Jepchirchir. She was accused of swindling 8,000 job seekers in Uasin Gishu County. She was even investigated by a parliamentary committee. When l posted about her scam last year, l was told she was untouchable, now l believe it. https://t.co/pkFsp6CA9g pic.twitter.com/71tiy966VX

— The People’s Watchman (@bonifacemwangi) June 30, 2023

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Isa scam isa scam. The face of Ruto's 'Kazi Majuu' is scammer Judy Jepchirchir. Welcome to the age of the brute. https://t.co/9La412IveU

— BABU (@alaminkimathi) July 1, 2023

With such a controversial past, the integrity and reliability of ‘Kazi Majuu’ is obviously in jeopardy.