KeNHA Alerts Public to Recruitment Fraud as Road Projects Scale Up

The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has issued a formal alert to the public concerning a surge in fraudulent recruitment activities. This warning comes as the authority prepares to roll out several major road projects across the country, which often creates a spike in interest from job seekers within the construction and engineering sectors.

In a statement released on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, the authority flagged specific fraudulent communications that have been circulating via email and social media. These messages, which often appear to use official branding, falsely claim that KeNHA is conducting aptitude tests or interviews for various technical and administrative positions.

Director General Luka Kimeli noted that the authority has identified a specific email address, recruitment.kenha@gmail.com, which has been used to send misleading information to unsuspecting applicants. One such message falsely claimed that a scheduled aptitude test for candidates had been postponed, a tactic often used by scammers to build a false sense of legitimacy before soliciting money or personal data.

The authority emphasized that it does not use public email domains like Gmail for official business. All legitimate correspondence regarding employment is conducted through verified government email addresses and the official KeNHA website. Furthermore, the agency reiterated its standing policy that it does not charge any fees at any stage of the recruitment process, whether for application, testing, or placement.

This development follows the recent advertisement of several high-level positions within the authority, including roles in legal services, land surveying, and corporate communications. The closing date for these legitimate applications was earlier this month, providing a window of opportunity for fraudsters to target those who had recently submitted their credentials.

Beyond the administrative warnings, the timing of the scam coincides with the mobilization of several major infrastructure works. Among the projects reaching critical milestones are the Horn of Africa Gateway Development Project and various dualling initiatives on the Kenol-Sagana-Marua highway. These projects are expected to generate significant local employment, a fact that scammers are currently exploiting to lure victims.

KeNHA has advised any person who has been contacted by these unauthorized individuals to report the matter to the nearest police station. The authority also urged the public to verify any job posting through their official careers portal or via their verified social media handles on X and Facebook.

The rise in recruitment fraud has become a recurring challenge for state agencies in the transport sector. Earlier this year, the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) was forced to issue a similar notice after fraudsters sent out bulk SMS messages to job seekers. Construction industry experts suggest that the high demand for jobs in large-scale infrastructure projects makes the sector a primary target for such sophisticated phishing operations.

KeNHA remains a critical player in Kenya’s development agenda, currently managing a vast portfolio of national trunk roads. As more projects transition from the procurement phase to active construction, the authority maintains that all hiring will remain transparent and free of charge to ensure equal opportunity for all qualified Kenyans.