IN SHORT: A fake advertisement for jobs at Kenya’s port company is circulating online, falsely offering job opportunities. Given the country’s limited formal job growth, this might be believable to many, but the ad has many red flags.
A job advertisement on Facebook claims that the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) is recruiting for various roles and internships. It says applications must be submitted via email to [email protected].
KPA is a state corporation established in January 1978 following the dissolution of the East African Harbours Corporation. It manages, regulates and improves all seaports and inland waterways in Kenya.
The viral advert lists 28 job and internship opportunities, including positions such as accountant, procurement officer, civil engineer, internal auditor and security officer and other support staff.
Applicants are required to be Kenyan citizens over the age of 18, able to read and write in English or Kiswahili, and have the relevant educational qualifications.
According to the 2025 Economic Survey by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, Kenya’s employment rate increased from 20 million in 2023 to 20.8 million in 2024, with 782,300 new jobs created. Of these, 78,600 were in the formal sector, representing a modest growth of 2.4%. Meanwhile, the informal sector contributed 703,700 new jobs, which was slower than the 720,900 jobs created in 2023.
For those seeking jobs in the formal sector, this means limited opportunities and fierce competition for the few available positions. With youth unemployment in Kenya at such a high level, many desperate job seekers are vulnerable to fake job adverts shared online.
This job ad also appears here and here. (Note: See more instances at the end of this report.)
But is the agency hiring? We checked.
Fake job ad, several red flags
This particular job ad includes several red flags that suggest it is not genuine, such as using a Gmail address instead of an official KPA email address, inconsistent formatting, vague application instructions and poor grammar.
On 5 May 2025, the Kenya Ports Authority disowned the advert.
“Beware of scammers and imposter pages. Always verify information from the official KPA website and Social Media pages; www.kpa.co.ke, X- https://x.com/Kenya_Ports, Instagram-https://www.instagram.com/kenyaportsofficial/, Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/KenyaPortsAuthority/,” the KPA wrote.
“Look out for inconsistencies and red flags in these fake adverts, including poor grammar, unverified/unofficial email addresses and requests for money for things like ‘document processing’,” the ports manager added.
The fake job ad also appears here, here, here, here and here.
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