NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 14 — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has dismissed reports of a systemic culture of mistreatment of domestic workers in Saudi Arabia following a recent surge in Kenyan workers appealing for evacuation.
In comments made after visiting Saudi-run shelters in Riyadh known as Sakan centres on Friday, Diaspora Affairs Principal Secretary Roseline Njogu said all domestic workers who retain their legal status in the country are protected and sheltered when in distress.
“Sakan shelters take in any female domestic worker in distress. In this particular shelter, they had 257 Kenyans (another 31 are in the other 12 branches across KSA). I was surprised by what I found,” Njogu observed.
The Principal Secretary heading the newly-created state department for diaspora affairs said Sakan centres offer the workers legal aid and secure them a safe passage back home with tickets catered for by the Saudi government.
“The women we met confirmed that they are given food, shelter, medical care, psychological/psychiatric care, and eventually plane tickets to go home. There’s recreation- I watched them taking a swim! They keep their phones, can leave if they want. The Embassy visit any time,” she said.
Njogu argued the cases of domestic workers who get brutalized are mostly as a result of change of employment that is irregular with the country’s law, a situation she said puts affected domestic workers in the black market.
“DWs who are out of status or who abandon their contract often fall prey to dalalas (brokers/middlemen) who traffic them to work illegally in other households. Then they are taken advantage of & mistreated as we have seen on social media. It’s hard to protect you when you enter the black market!” she asserted.
Njogu slammed “keyboard” warriors she appeared to fault for misrepresenting the situation asking them to refer domestic workers in distress to shelters.
“Calling all activists, Kenyans of goodwill and keyboard warriors: kindly direct domestic workers in distress in KSA to go to a Sakan center near them,” she tweeted.
“Instead of flooding my DM, this is a fast, safe and FREE service. Help you fellow Kenyans,” she added.
The Principal Secretary revealed that the government may have a challenge protecting Kenyans on the black market as they fall prey to mistreatment due to lack of legally binding contracts.
Njogu who has toured a number of countries to interact with Kenyan workers abroad was responding to recurring reports of mistreatment of migrant workers in the gulf countries.
Incidents of death and torture of Kenyan migrant workers in the Middle East, particularly in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have become worryingly common.
Activitist have strongly recommended a temporary ban on recruitment and export of domestic workers to Saudi Arabia until protection measures are in place.
Former Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Macharia Kamau once said they had warned Kenyans against taking up such jobs.
In 2021 Kenya’s foreign ministry said 89 Kenyans, most of them domestic workers, had died in Saudi Arabia in the previous two years. The deaths were attributed to cardiac arrest.
Saudi Arabia has a reputation for poor labour and human rights record, and is widely considered one of the most dangerous places to work in the world.
Employers in the Gulf state have been dogged by allegations of physically, mentally and sexually abusing their migrant housekeepers for years; allegations which continue to resurface.
