Official online lookupHas not ratified ILO C181
Recruitment agency licensing in Kenya
Licensing authority: National Employment Authority (NEA), which registers private employment agencies, according to Citizen Digital, the Nation and Kenyans.co.ke.2,4,3
How to check an agency in Kenya
The NEA lists registered recruitment agencies on its online system, the National Employment Authority Integrated Management System (NEAIMS), and in September 2026 told jobseekers to confirm an agency is listed there and that its registration and licence are valid, according to Kenyans.co.ke. Citizen Digital reported in 2024 that the list is at neaims.go.ke, with agencies in black holding valid licences and those in red not yet verified. The NEA also advises checking that the specific overseas job can be confirmed on NEAIMS.2,3
Who needs a licence
Kenyans.co.ke reported that the NEA told jobseekers to confirm that a recruitment agency is duly registered with the Authority and holds a valid registration and licence. The Nation reported NEA data on registered employment agencies and on how many hold valid licences.3,4
ILO Private Employment Agencies Convention (C181)
Not ratified1
Checked 28 October 2026. This page describes the licensing system. It does not list or rate individual agencies.
Sources
- Government of the Netherlands, Treaty Database, Convention concerning Private Employment Agencies, Geneva, 19-06-1997 (29 January 2026)
- Citizen Digital, Gov't flags 16 agencies after Kenyans lose millions to Canada job scams (20 August 2024)
- Kenyans.co.ke, Employment Authority Reveals Two Checks Kenyans Must Make Before Taking Jobs Abroad (14 September 2026)
- Nation, MPs crackdown on rogue employment agencies