Kenyan Woman Narrates How Agency Swindled Her Over KSh 200k With False Work Permit

• A Kenyan woman named Marya is stranded in the UK after an employment agency deceived her
• She was promised a work visa and asked to pay over KSh 200,000, only for them to abandon her abroad
• Marya knew her fate was sealed after landing in the UK, and neither the accommodation nor the work permit was delivered

Marya is a Kenyan woman stranded in the UK after an employment agency deceived her with a nonexistent job.

She told TUKO.co.ke that her story started in December 2023 when she was given an agent's number.

The number, given to her by a friend, belonged to an agent with Vintmark named Purity.

They started the process after she paid a deposit of KSh 170,000, with the rest meant to be cleared after she got her visa.

Marya clarified that getting a visa wasn't an issue for her because she had previously travelled to four European countries.

What took me to Vintmark was because they promised me a work permit, otherwise, if I wanted a visit visa, I would have applied myself," she said.

She paid the money in January and officially started the process, but there was no feedback by March.

They stopped picking up her calls, and when she went to the office, they claimed they had been busy with clients.

At the office, Purity admitted that they were having a problem with the host and proposed that they apply for a visit visa.

"I was told that once I got there, they have an immigration lawyer who would change my status on the visa and give me accommodation," she continued.

She agreed, and within 15 days of applying, she got her visit visa and had to clear up the remaining amount.

On the biometrics, she was asked to add $20,000 to the $14,000 they had paid, which she did.

Trouble started on the day of travel when she insisted that they give her the contact information for her host in the UK.

Once settled, she texted the would-be host, who dismissed the claim and informed her that she was in an asylum camp and couldn't host her.

Upon landing in the UK, Marya called Purity to have someone pick her up from the airport, only to be picked up after eight hours.

When she noticed they had sent a different person than she had expected, she knew something was not right.

"I called my parents and explained what had transpired. My mum warned me against leaving the airport with someone I don't know, she shared.

Luckily for Marya, her mother had a friend in the UK who agreed to host her while she sought direction.

With accommodation sorted, she went back to seeking answers from Vintmark but got a hostile reception.

She was directed to the director named Catherine who changed the whole story and insisted that she had asked for a visit visa.

"She started ridiculing me because I asked her where my accommodation and work permit were," Marya recalled.

When she prodded further, the manager deleted her messages and blocked her, leaving her stranded.