Fake offer letters for jobs in Qatar have been circulating amongst Kenyans after thousands of nationals expressed interest in entering the Gulf state’s labour market.

Kenya’s Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua, has warned Kenyans interested in joining Qatar’s labour market to be cautious of fraudulent job offers.

A recent recruitment campaign in Nairobi advertised 8,000 job openings in Qatar across sectors such as hospitality, service, construction, and technical fields.

The campaign attracted a large turnout, with thousands of Kenyans attending interview centres nationwide.

Under a recent agreement by the Qatar-Kenya Joint Labor Committee, the number of Kenyan nationals in Doha could rise significantly, from 67,000 to over 200,000, greatly expanding employment opportunities for Kenyans in Qatar.

On Sunday, Mutua said that all candidates who performed well in the recruitment campaign would be notified via phone calls.

However, he warned that fraudulent text messages offering job offers for Qatar have been circulating, aiming to scam Kenyans.

“Successful candidates from the Qatar interviews will be notified by phone call, not SMS. Appointment letters will be available for collection only at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre,” Mutua said.

“Security agencies are actively pursuing the authors and publishers of the above and other similar misleading and false information intended to scam unsuspecting Kenyans. Please remain cautious of potential con artists,” he added.