Cyber cafe to pay student Sh5m for recruitment in Myanmar slave trade

Haron Nyakang’o, a Kisii University student, hoped that a foreign job placement by a Kenyan recruitment agency would open financial freedom for him.

The promise of a customer care job in Bangkok, Thailand, and a monthly salary of Sh180,000, was alluring enough that he deferred his studies.

Nyakang’o, who was last year desperately seeking employment to raise money needed for his university fees, dreamt of, among other things to fully paying it and making a good life out of the money he was supposed to earn.

However, his life and dream were rudely cut short when reality hit that he had paid Gratify Solutions International Limited Sh200,000 to facilitate his entry into slavery.

For this, Gratify will pay him Sh5 million after Employment and Labour Relations Court (ELRC) Judge Byrum Ongaya found that the company, alongside Virginia Wacheke, Ann Njeri and Boniface Owino were liable for trafficking him.

Justice Ongaya observed that they procured a visa that indicated ‘ employment prohibited’ for him, knowing too well that it would not be converted into a work visa.

The Judge said this was fraud and an act of deception.

He also found that Nyakang’o ended up being captured and forced to do criminal activities in a foreign land, something which he did not expect and was not privy to.

“The court finds that the conditions of being held captive and forced into criminal work amounted to forced labour, servitude and likely slavery, all of which constituted violation of human freedoms as urged for the petitioners, including inhuman and degrading treatment. The respondents, as recruiters and transporters facilitated the same and are liable as found,” said Justice Ongaya.

Nyakang’o’s story in the hands of recruiters and smugglers started in November 2024.

His lawyer, Lilian Nyangasi, told the court that he contacted Gratify, through Njeri during his employment search. She explained that it was Njeri who promised him the customer care job in Thailand on condition that he paid Sh200,000.

She further stated that her client paid Gratify Sh150,000 in instalments and left the country on December 15, 2024.

He narrated that his travel was coordinated by Owino, and they were seven in number.

Nyakang’o explained that the group had a team leader, whose job was to take photos and send them to them through WhatsApp for monitoring their travel.

Upon arrival in Thailand, he narrated, the first day was London as they were chauffeured by a Thai national to a well-kept hotel. However, the driver took away their passports.

The following day, after arrival, the court heard that Chinese men came and took them to a river in Mae Sot, near the border with Myanmar, bundled them onto a small boat and confiscated their luggage.

They then ended up in the rebel-controlled compound, where they were forced to work in online fraud by creating fake profiles to scam people in the United States of America. He said that he was commanded to con those in real estate.

“ He was held against his will, and when he requested to return to Kenya, the managers of the scam compound demanded USD 4500 to facilitate his release, claiming that they had bought him. Since he was unable to make the said payment, he was trapped in servitude and forced labour for criminal activities,” argued Nyangasi.

She further stated that he was subjected to severe physical abuse, relentless mental and psychological torment, adding that he constantly lived in fear for his life.

Gratify, Njeri, Wacheke and Owino denied they were engaged in human trafficking. They alleged that the company operates a cybercafé and supply business which is totally unrelated to job placement or labour export.

Njeri and Wacheke are Gratify directors, while Owino was their client.

They also denied that Nyakang’o was treated like a slave, while Owino and Njeri denied that he gave them money. He also denied that he was at the Airport.

They urged the court to dismiss the case.