Protect Kenyans working in Gulf or stop hiring
Ms Diana Chepkemoi (right), a former domestic worker in Saudi Arabia, is hugged by Ms Rose Lang’at, a senior Bomet County Government official, upon her arrival from Riyadh at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on September 6, 2022.
Diana Chepkemoi’s story has once again brought to the fore the suffering that Kenyans go through in the Gulf countries, specifically Saudi Arabia. This is not the first one. Several Kenyans returning from Saudi Arabia have narrated harrowing tales of mistreatment by their employers.
Statistics show that at least 30,000 Kenyans migrate to the Middle East every year in search of greener pastures. There is a common belief that going abroad opens a world of opportunities that cannot be found at home. In fact, there was a time when the whole village would escort one such hopeful to the airport while bidding them a teary goodbye and blessing them to “go out there and prosper”. It was thought that they would open the way for others and send money back home and to help their younger siblings.
While it’s upon the government to regulate recruitment agencies and ensure compliance with labour laws, and to guard the welfare of those who travel to foreign countries, unfortunately, officials usually blame the desperate, jobless Kenyans who fall prey to rogue merchants.
And why should somebody continue to draw a salary from our taxes in the capacity of a diplomat when he or she cannot engage the foreign government pertaining to the conditions of Kenyans working there?
The Ruto administration should, as a matter of urgency, deregister all labour agencies that recruit workers for the Gulf countries and also put in place stringent requirements for the business. It should also summon Kenya’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia to explain what remedial action he has taken to deal with the many reported cases of torture against Kenyans working there.
If Riyadh does not commit to prosecuting the tormentors, recruitment of Kenyans by Saudi nationals and companies should be banned.
Lastly, create employment opportunities to accommodate our young people to make working in foreign countries an unattractive option.
Ms Osogo is a law student at the University of Nairobi. [email protected].
