AFP Announces Job Opening in Nairobi, Warns Applicants of Pickpockets

Agence France-Presse (AFP),an international news agency headquartered in France has announced a job opening in its Nairobi office.

The job ad, however, stood out after it warned applicants about insecurity, including numerous pickpockets in Nairobi.

The job vacancy attracted applicants potentially from all over the world but noted that depicted a less-than-impressive picture of Kenya’s capital. 

Aerial view of Kenyatta Avenue and Moi Avenue junction in Nairobi CBD.

NMG

“Security should not be an obsession, but daily vigilance is necessary. 

“Pickpocketing is commonplace. Armed attacks, including burglaries, take place from time to time,” the advert read in part

The warning sparked conversation among Kenyans, who expressed different views on the same. While some argued that it misrepresented the capital, others agreed that the caution was only in good faith.

This is the second time that an international media house has been put on the spot over the perception created about Africa.

In 2019, the New York Times was called out over a section on its job advert. The American magazine had announced that it was looking to hire a new Bureau Chief for its Nairobi office.

“Our Nairobi bureau chief has a tremendous opportunity to dive into news and enterprise across a wide range of countries, from the deserts of Sudan and the pirate seas of the Horn of Africa, down through the forests of Congo and the shores of Tanzania,” read a section of the advert.

Experts asserted that the move by AFP was appropriate, given its international profile.

Since 2020, the number of cases of petty crime within some areas in the central business district (CBD)has been on the rise.

In June 2020, a  Chinese national recorded himself going undercover to nab mobile phone thieves. In a three-minute video that he shared, he was seen driving along a road on the downtown section of Nairobi CBD.

He lures unsuspecting thieves by carelessly dangling his phone. In his right hand, he holds a teaser to neutralise the thugs as they attempt to snatch the phone which appeared to be of a high-end brand.

thieves thug suspect