In November 2025, The New York Times released an article alleging the Kenyan government functions as “an arm” of the staffing industry. It says politicians own staffing companies that send migrant workers abroad, while the government is also rolling back worker protections, maximizing industry profits.

The report emphasises human rights abuses experienced by Kenyan domestic workers in Saudi Arabia, including passport confiscation, wage theft, the denial of food, violence and deaths. It argues the Kenyan government has not done enough to protect these workers from abuse, instead sending more workers to the country, ‘more quickly and less prepared than before’.

The article gives examples of several links between the recruitment industry and the Kenyan government, including alleging the President’s family are the largest shareholders in a major insurance company – Africa Merchant Assurance – which the government allegedly steers recruiters to buy policies from. The company told the journalists it is not aware of ‘any directive’ steering business to its firm.

The article also gives the example of Forbes Global Agencies, alleging the company’s co-owner is a member of Parliament, an ally to the president, and a member of his governing coalition.

The president’s office referred The New York Times’ questions to its labour secretary, who said there are laws to address conflicts of interest.

In December 2025, the Business & Human Rights Centre invited Forbes Global Agencies to respond to the article. It did not respond.