Kenyan authorities are facing mounting pressure to strengthen the fight against human trafficking after a US report documented a rise in victims, falling convictions and growing exploitation of Kenyans recruited for jobs abroad.
The 2026 Trafficking in Persons Report by the US Department of State recorded 271 trafficking victims identified in Kenya in 2025, up from 195 in 2024. Another 1,021 people were identified as potential victims.
Of the confirmed victims, 260 were subjected to forced labour and 11 to sex trafficking.
The report further documents how fraudulent overseas employment schemes have continued to expose Kenyans to exploitation in Southeast Asia as well as Russia.
According to the report, Kenyans have been exposed to forced labour in online scam operations, as well as abuses affecting migrant workers in other destinations.
The findings come amid growing concern over the recruitment of Kenyans into Russia’s war against Ukraine, with Parliament investigating allegations that rogue recruitment agencies have deceived job seekers with promises of lucrative employment.
Despite the rising number of victims identified, the US assessment found that Kenya’s criminal justice response had weakened.
The government investigated 43 trafficking cases in 2025, compared with 42 in 2024. However, prosecutions fell from 44 to 14, while convictions dropped from 21 to six.
The government reported 103 ongoing prosecutions, indicating many cases remain unresolved. The US has thus retained Kenya in Tier 2.
“The Government of Kenya does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so,” the report said.
“Corruption and official complicity in trafficking crimes remained significant concerns, inhibiting law enforcement action during the year.”
One of the report’s major concerns is the growing use of social media, smartphone applications and fraudulent job advertisements to recruit Kenyans aged between 18 and 38.
Victims are reportedly promised well-paying positions in technology, education and hospitality before being transported through Thailand to neighbouring countries, including Myanmar, Laos and Malaysia.
Once there, some are forced to participate in online scam operations or subjected to sexual exploitation.
The findings mirror concerns raised by Kenyan officials over the so-called Golden Triangle, a region encompassing parts of Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand that has become a hub for trafficking-linked cybercrime operations.
Appearing before the Senate Committee on Labour and Social Welfare in May, Prime CS Musalia Mudavadi said 751 Kenyans had been rescued from Myanmar between 2022 and 2026, with 615 repatriated.
He told senators that 406 Kenyans had been rescued in Cambodia between January and April 2026, 305 of whom had returned home. Laos had repatriated 29 Kenyans, while 39 remained imprisoned in Myanmar and about 97 were being held in immigration detention centres in Thailand, awaiting deportation.
Mudavadi also reported deaths linked to the scam compounds, underscoring the risks facing Kenyans lured abroad by fraudulent employment offers.
The International Organisation for Migration warned in July that trafficking into scam compounds across Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos was increasing, with recruits from more than 80 countries reportedly being lured by fake job advertisements and forced into online fraud.
The exploitation of Kenyans seeking employment abroad has also emerged in investigations into the recruitment of citizens to fight for Russia in its war against Ukraine.
In February, National Assembly Majority leader Kimani Ichung’wah presented findings from the National Intelligence Service indicating more than 1,000 Kenyans had been recruited into the conflict, many allegedly deceived by promises of well-paid security and logistics jobs.
Documents presented to Parliament showed recruiters offered salaries of about Sh350,000 a month, substantial bonuses and the possibility of Russian citizenship.
Some recruits reportedly discovered after arriving in Russia that they had been redirected to military training camps and deployed to the frontline.
The report also raised allegations that recruitment networks colluded with rogue officials to facilitate travel. These claims require investigation and should not be taken as proof of individual guilt.
The US report also raised concerns about the resources available to support trafficking survivors, with government funding falling to Sh9.27 million from Sh20 million in 2024.
