Kerra warns public over fake recruitment text messages

The Kenya Rural Roads Authority (Kerra) has issued a warning to jobseekers and members of the public over a surge in fraudulent text messages circulating online in the wake of the agency’s recent recruitment advertisements.

In a public notice dated January 14, the authority said the messages were falsely requesting applicants to undertake aptitude tests and in some cases soliciting money.

Kerra said it does not require payment or financial commitments at any stage of its hiring process and urged the public to ignore any links or phone numbers asking for fees or personal details.

The authority also indicated that it has reported the contacts behind the messages to the relevant agencies for investigation.

“The Authority has received numerous reports of fraudulent text messages…These messages are false and scamming in nature,” the notice said.

It added that official communication is only issued through its website, verified social media pages or direct email addresses.

In an advertisement dated December 13, the agency advertised over 300 job vacancies at the senior management level including director general, director of internal audit, deputy director of roads, deputy director of enterprise risk management and deputy director of planning.

Others are deputy director of legal affairs, deputy director of survey, deputy director of supply chain management, deputy director of research and innovation, and deputy director of administration.

Applicants interested in the positions are required to submit their applications by January 20.

Scams targeting jobseekers have become increasingly common in Kenya, exploiting both high unemployment and the migration of recruitment processes to digital platforms.

Fraudsters frequently impersonate government bodies, private companies and recruitment agencies, often using messaging services to send links asking for processing fees, training charges or so-called clearance payments.

Cybersecurity analysts say that while most such schemes involve small individual sums, the overall impact can be significant, affecting thousands of applicants who may not have the ability to verify information in real time.

A number of state bodies have in the past issued similar alerts, particularly after publishing training, scholarship or job announcements that attract large numbers of applicants.

Kerra’s warning also highlights a broader concern about the use of social media and messaging applications to spread misinformation during recruitment exercises.

While many government institutions have adopted online platforms to streamline hiring, verification gaps have made it easier for scammers to hijack the process by mimicking legitimate notices.

The authority listed its official communication channels as its website and verified Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) accounts, and provided a telephone contact and email address for recruitment enquiries.

It said no aptitude tests were being conducted outside of the formally advertised process.

Jobseekers interviewed say verification remains a challenge, particularly when scams closely resemble official announcements.

Kerra’s recruitment drive, which opened earlier this month, has attracted interest across the country.