Shocker as jobless teachers lose millions in TSC Job Scam
Hundreds of trained but unemployed teachers in Baringo County are struggling to cope after falling victim to a job recruitment scam that has cost them over Sh3 million in total.
This fraudulent scheme extends beyond county lines, as feelings of regret and calls for justice resonate throughout Elgeyo Marakwet County and the plains of Uasin-Gishu County.
One victim, who wishes to remain anonymous, has expressed thoughts of suicide rather than face the burden of a Sh450,000 bank loan she took out.
The 25-year-old, who is a trained math and business teacher, lamented her situation, explaining that the scammers exploited her desperation after five years of unsuccessful job searching.
She recounted how a friend introduced her to a man named Koross, who claimed to have connections at the TSC Headquarters in Nairobi. After meeting him, she felt certain that her job search was finally coming to an end.
Unfortunately, her hopes of employment have been dashed, and her money has vanished.
A senior detective based in Eldoret, who is also grappling with the fallout from this scam, shared that he took out a Sh120,000 emergency loan, believing it would help his jobless daughter secure a position at TSC.
Now, both he and his daughter are left with shattered dreams, and he is unsure how he will repay the loan, as his salary is already stretched thin. He has resigned himself to his unfortunate situation.
The teachers are left in limbo as their attempts to recover their money have repeatedly failed, leaving them with only fake appointment letters.
One scammer has been unreachable for nearly ten days, while another continues to make false promises.
Sally Jepkosgei, 24, is another victim of this scam. She regrets the day a conman, who is the father of one of her high school classmates, informed her about job opportunities in Baringo County.
Now living in Kabarnet Town, she has become a shadow of her former self after her family sold their land to pay the Sh100,000 the conman claimed was necessary for her employment with TSC.
She was quickly deceived and informed her father, who then sold his land to finance the fraudulent job search.
Sharing their distressing experience with the scammers, two victims from Baringo expressed their realization that they may never recover their money.
“We resent sending our posting letters to the TSC offices in Kabarnet Town, but after checking the list of newly employed teachers from the county, we found our names were not included,” she told People Daily.
An officer from the Baringo TSC County Director’s office confirmed the scam, noting that his office has been overwhelmed with victims seeking updates on their employment letters before the posting date expired on March 19, which is listed as their reporting date to their assigned schools.
“I urge every Kenyan to follow the constitutional provisions of Chapter Four of the Constitution of Kenya regarding Integrity.”
Two coordinators of the scheme, Towett from Kericho County and Koross from Baringo County, have since turned off their phones after realizing that authorities are pursuing them.
The letters, some of which this writer has seen, feature all the TSC branding, including watermarks and stamps.
One of the scammed teachers mentioned that she and her fellow victims brought the letters to the TSC Kabarnet Branch, only to be informed that the documents originated from River Road in Nairobi, known for producing fake documents, including degrees and title deeds.
