A Kenyan university student has been awarded Ksh 5 million in compensation after a court found he was trafficked and forced to work in Bangkok, Thailand, with WhatsApp chats emerging as the key evidence that secured his victory.
Haron Nyakong’o, a student at Kisii University, deferred his studies in November 2024 after being promised a customer care job in Thailand that would pay Ksh 180,000 a month.
However, he was instead caught in a trafficking scheme where he was taken from Nairobi to Bangkok, then smuggled by boat across the Moei River into Myanmar, where he was forced to participate in online fraud.
Court Awards Kisii University Student for Being Smuggled to Thailand
In a ruling delivered by the Employment and Labour Relations Court, led by Justice Byram Ongaya, ruled that a Kenyan company and its directors were responsible for trafficking the student.
The court found they had deceived him, charged a Ksh 150,000 “placement fee,” and helped him travel illegally.
Key evidence was the WhatsApp messages between Nyakong’o and one of the accused.
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In court, the respondents denied all allegations of human trafficking and constitutional violations, claiming the 1st respondent operated only a cybercafé. However, the court relied on the petitioner’s evidence, including electronic and digital material.
The court found that the 4th respondent’s communication, exchanged through cell phones and authenticated as WhatsApp chats, confirmed his involvement in guiding the petitioner and the group through airport clearance and travel arrangements, including wishing the petitioner a safe journey.
The court confirmed these chats through Kenya’s electronic evidence laws and found they showed plans for his travel and monitoring his movements. This contradicted the respondents’ claims and highlighted a coordinated trafficking operation.
It was determined by the court that the accused, Gratify Solutions International Limited, Virginia Wacheke Muriithi, Ann Njeri Kihara, and Boniface Owino, jointly recruited and transported Nyakong’o, meeting all three elements of human trafficking: act, means, and purpose.
Respondents Barred by the Court from Recruiting or Sending Kenyans Abroad
Justice Ongaya noted that even though the respondents were not directly involved in Nyakong’o’s exploitation in Myanmar, they were part of the trafficking chain and were liable for the harm he suffered.
Nyakong’o’s experience included having his passport taken, living under armed guard, working long hours on illegal online operations, and facing beatings and psychological abuse. He was rescued in April 2025 and returned to Kenya.
The court awarded Ksh 5 million, stating that he had faced slavery, servitude, and serious violations of his rights.
In his ruling, the judge also stressed the importance of making sure human traffickers are held responsible for their actions.
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The ruling also prevents the respondents from recruiting or sending Kenyan workers abroad in the future.
Justice Ongaya’s ruling comes months after Haron Naykang’o and several other Kenyans who were victims of human trafficking were rescued and repatriated from cyber-scam compounds in Myanmar through a coordinated effort by the Kenyan government, Kenya Airways, and international partners between February and April 2025.
The victims were lured to Myanmar with false promises of well-paying jobs, often in Thailand, but were instead forced to work in large-scale online scam operations under armed guard. Survivors reported horrific abuse, including physical beatings and electric shocks if they failed to meet high scam targets.
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