The High Court has granted the Asset Recovery Agency (ARA) permission to seize properties and vehicles linked to Judy Jepchirchir, a key suspect in the infamous Uasin Gishu jobs scam. Jepchirchir is accused of orchestrating a fraudulent overseas employment scheme that allegedly defrauded over 1,000 Kenyan youths of more than Ksh 200 million.

According to court documents, the scam involved false promises of employment opportunities in Qatar, with victims lured into paying hefty fees through her firm, First Choice Recruitment and Consultancy Services Ltd.

The court’s ruling, delivered on Monday, allows the ARA to freeze several high-value assets believed to have been acquired using proceeds from the scheme.

Among the frozen assets is a residential apartment in Athi River valued at Ksh 1.9 million, and a four-storey commercial building in Eldoret, which was approximately 80% complete at the time of purchase in July 2022. The Eldoret property is estimated to generate a monthly rental income of Ksh 289,000, raising suspicion over its funding sources.

In addition, the court ordered Jepchirchir to surrender the logbooks of two luxury vehicles, which investigators claim were purchased using money defrauded from job seekers. The vehicles, whose make and model have not yet been disclosed, are considered proceeds of crime under the Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Act.

The court also barred Jepchirchir from selling, leasing, or transferring any of the seized assets while the matter remains under investigation and litigation.

YOU MISSED: Saudi Arabia’s ‘Sleeping Prince’, Alwaleed bin Khaled, Dies After 20 Years in Coma

ARA has alleged that Jepchirchir laundered the stolen funds through her company by creating fictitious job offers and misleading documentation. The agency says it has traced substantial cash flows into First Choice Recruitment’s accounts, which were then used to fund personal and real estate acquisitions. “The suspect used deception to exploit the desperation of jobless youth, collecting significant sums under the guise of securing jobs abroad,” the ARA stated in its filings. “The assets identified are directly traceable to the funds collected from victims.”

The scam, which came to light in 2023, sparked national outrage and protests in Uasin Gishu, with affected families demanding refunds and accountability. Many of the victims had taken loans or sold property to raise the required recruitment fees, only to find the promised jobs were non-existent.

Ends///