NAIROBI,Kenya August 6 – Banissa MP Ahmed Hassan has called on the Government to urgently dismantle human trafficking syndicates preying on vulnerable Kenyan youth through fake overseas job offers warning that the vice has evolved into a sophisticated transnational criminal enterprise exposing victims to exploitation, abuse and slavery-like conditions.
Raising the matter on the floor of the National Assembly, Hassan sought a Statement from the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security expressing concern over the growing number of reported cases in which young Kenyans are allegedly being recruited through social media and trafficked across several countries before ending up in Libya.
The legislator said criminal syndicates have increasingly turned to digital platforms to lure desperate job seekers with promises of lucrative employment abroad, only for many to fall victim to trafficking networks operating across the region.
According to the MP, available reports indicate that victims are moved through Kenya, Uganda and South Sudan before eventually being taken to Libya, where they are subjected to grave human rights abuses.
“Once in Libya, victims are reportedly subjected to forced labour, extortion, unlawful detention and are often held while traffickers demand ransom from their families,” Hassan told the House.
He further raised concern over reports linking a criminal network identified as Magafe to the trafficking and smuggling of persons saying the group’s activities have heightened fears over the growing reach of organised transnational crime in the region.
The MP warned that the operations of such criminal syndicates continue to expose vulnerable young Kenyans to exploitation, abuse and violence while leaving families devastated and financially burdened as they struggle to secure the release of their loved ones.
“The activities of these trafficking syndicates are causing immense distress to affected families while increasing the threat posed by transnational organised crime,” he said.
In his request, Hassan called for a comprehensive government response detailing measures being taken to identify, investigate and prosecute individuals and criminal networks involved in the recruitment, trafficking and exploitation of Kenyan nationals.
He specifically sought clarification on efforts to dismantle trafficking rings, including the alleged Magafe network, which is said to be using social media platforms to recruit unsuspecting victims.
The legislator also pressed the Government to explain what steps Kenyan diplomatic missions are taking to trace, rescue and facilitate the safe return of citizens believed to be trapped in Libya and other foreign countries after falling victim to human traffickers.
Beyond rescue operations, Hassan urged the Government to outline the support available to returning victims, including legal assistance, psychological counselling and reintegration programmes to help survivors rebuild their lives after enduring traumatic experiences.
He also demanded details on Kenya’s long-term strategy to strengthen cross-border cooperation with neighbouring transit countries and international organisations in combating human trafficking, dismantling organised criminal networks and protecting vulnerable migrants from exploitation.
