Nakuru family seeks answers after mysterious death of kin in Saudi Arabia
Sharon Chebet,24, who died mysteriously in Saudi Arabia where she was working as a domestic worker. Her family in Irongo village, Kiptagich ward in Kuresoi sub-county is asking the government to help repatriate her body for a proper send off.
What you need to know:
- Three weeks later, they received a call from a stranger claiming that Chebet had died in a road accident, with the caller demanding Sh350,000 to repatriate her body to Kenya, raising even more questions.
- “She was really excited when she got the opportunity to travel to Saudi Arabia, she only wanted to help us. We are orphans and have been fending for ourselves. The news of her death shattered the family and now we do not know where to start,” Ms Chesang said.
In May 2022, Sharon Chebet left for her rural home in Irongo village, Kuresoi South in Nakuru County, pursuing greener pastures after securing a job as a domestic worker in Saudi Arabia.
Chebet,33, kept close contact with her family, sharing regular updates about her new workplace and country.
However, on August 4, 2024, she made a distress call to her sister, Brillian Chesang, saying she had been arrested by Saudi Arabian police officers, but was unsure why.
After this call, Chebet vanished leaving her family in distress as they could not reach her.
Three weeks later, they received a call from a stranger claiming that Chebet had died in a road accident, with the caller demanding Sh350,000 to repatriate her body to Kenya, raising even more questions.
“She was really excited when she got the opportunity to travel to Saudi Arabia, she only wanted to help us. We are orphans and have been fending for ourselves. The news of her death shattered the family and now we do not know where to start,” Ms Chesang said.
The death of Chebet has left the family with many answered questions hoping that they will be answered and her body repatriated back for a decent send-off.
“If indeed she was arrested as she told me, where was she taken? Were the people truly police officers? Was she ever produced in court?” she asked, questioning the circumstances of her sister’s arrest and death.
“Where did the accident occur? Who picked her body from the crime scene and moved it to the mortuary? Which vehicle knocked her down and what action was taken against the driver? Why wait till one month to inform us?”
The family is now calling on the Kenyan government to help them get the correct information on how their kin met her death and whoever is responsible for her death for Chebet to get justice.
According to her elder brother, Philip Cheruiyot, Sharon left for Saudi Arabia without informing him and some other family members of her plans, only revealing her departure after landing.
“Some of us didn’t know she was traveling. She must have feared we wouldn’t accept it, given all the horror stories we’ve heard about Saudi Arabia,” Cheruiyot explained.
It was later discovered that a friend from the neighbourhood helped Sharon connect with agents who facilitated her journey.
The entire process was completed in secrecy, leaving the family in the dark until she was already overseas.
After hearing disturbing news of her potential death, the family’s efforts to reach the agent who handled her travel have hit a dead end—the agent has switched off their phone, making it impossible to get any answers.
Mr Cheruiyot, however, remains hopeful for closure.
“Our member of Parliament has helped follow up on the matter. He told us that some 21 bodies will be repatriated either on Sunday or Monday, and we will travel to see if Chebet's body is among them,” he said.
