The Kenyan government has expressed concern that citizens rescued from cybercrime networks abroad are returning home and establishing similar online scam operations. This follows intelligence reports indicating some repatriated individuals are complicit in these criminal networks.

• Over 400 Kenyans have been lured to countries like Vietnam, Cambodia, and Myanmar for forced labor and online scamming.
• Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi highlighted that some victims are not innocent and may replicate scams in Kenya.
• Since July 2022, the Kenyan embassy in Bangkok has repatriated nearly 500 victims.
• Kenya plans a nationwide awareness campaign and will open a new embassy in Hanoi, Vietnam, to strengthen its diplomatic presence.

The Kenyan government has issued a fresh warning about a scam targeting beneficiaries of the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) programme, as the second disbursement of grants approaches. Fraudulent apps are falsely claiming association with NYOTA, requiring registration fees for the Ksh50,000 grants.

• A further Ksh4.4 billion will be disbursed to NYOTA grantees starting next week.
• The NYOTA programme, funded by the World Bank, aims to empower Kenyan youth by tackling unemployment and income insecurity.
• President William Ruto announced that 6,000 enterprises in Nairobi alone would receive Ksh300 million to scale up small businesses.

A woman has been arrested in Migori County, Kenya, for impersonating a lawyer and illegally offering legal services. This arrest follows a similar operation two weeks prior in Kisii where three other individuals were apprehended for similar offenses.

• The 31-year-old fake lawyer will be charged with impersonation after being found with fake law firm seals and stamps.
• The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) Chairperson Kisii Chapter, Davin Biyaki, confirmed the arrest and noted the use of real law firms' seals without their knowledge.
• The previous arrests in Kisii involved individuals operating from cyber cafes, offering services like certifying documents and commissioning EACC forms for job seekers.