Kenya domestic workers 'slavery' claims not true - Speaker Muturi

It is now emerging that claims by over 55,000 Kenyans domestic workers in the gulf of ‘slavery’ could not be true but a result of breaches in their employers’ contracts.

Unemployment has seen many Kenyans seek greener pastures outside the country’s border through agents, resulting in numerous complaints by families whose kins are working overseas of being subjected to inhuman working conditions and torture.

National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi led a delegation on a mission to Riyadh at the invitation of the Speaker of the Consultative Assembly (National Assembly-called Shura Council), Abdullah ibn Muhammad Al ash-Sheikh at a time Kenyans have been fed with the unchallenged narrative of “slavery” in the jobs offered in the gulf.

The thorny issue of the treatment of domestic workers featured prominently at the meetings, however, noted that it is not of significant proportion as compared successful job offers extended the over 55,000 Kenyans in the Kingdom of Saudi.

He expressed concern that also a good number of ‘runaway’ Kenyans are within the Kingdom after fleeing from their employers.

Muturi noted that some of the workers once in Saudi and realize there are more lucrative jobs than what is offered by the employers who brought them, they abandon their jobs, in turn losing their work visa.

“Our citizens leave the homes of their employers and seek employment elsewhere where terms could be double of what they earn initially. And here lies the whole complexity of the Kenyan domestic workers in Saudi because once you leave your employer, you lose your status of a work visa and you get reported to the authorities,” explained Muturi.

The Speaker who was accompanied by Majority Leader Aden Duale (Garissa Township), Minority Leader John Mbadi (Suba South) and Clerk Michael Sialai, also met with the Kenyans in Saudi Arabia, faulted those who switch jobs outside the domestic stations that solicited for them in the first place.

“Once you lose your status you also lose your health benefits and you face deportation,” he cautioned.

He went on, “It is worth noting that even domestic workers who come here through recruiting agents who are given such privileges as medical cover by the government of the Kingdom and there is a minimum wage attached, at least not below KES 30,000/- which is comparatively higher than Kenya,” he said.

He recounted, “I listened to stories of our citizens who pass on there because they cannot access medical cover purely because they lost their status and the fundraising by their compatriots was not enough to salvage their deteriorating health conditions.”

He also took issue with the illegal immigrants, whom he regretted to note continues to spoil the good name of the other hardworking Kenyans who strive so hard to build their reputation and that of their country even as they fend for their families back home.

“At the National Assembly, we will try to solve this problem by looking at the proper policy frameworks that can help protect the interests of Kenyans working in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” he explained.

While there, the leaders lauded the unyielding hard work of the Kenyan people that took them there and has propelled them to senior positions in their industries.

He disclosed that some occupy senior positions in the banks, other own different types of businesses and the rest continue to offer uninterrupted services to their respective employers in the fields of oil, medicine, education and hospitality.

He argued that in a world where skills needs have changed drastically, and employability is now dependent not just needs an expertise, far flung countries such as Philippines, India, and Pakistan have more than a million each of their population employed here in Saudi while we are talking about slightly above 55,000 for Kenyans.

In Riyadh, the Kenya delegation held talks with Al ash-Sheikh and the Minister for Foreign Affairs H.E. Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir among a host of other executives.

Muturi argued that from the interactions, there lies huge opportunities for Kenyans in employment both in formal and informal sectors, and in trade in the Kingdom of Saudi.

“Kenyan tea and coffee are consumed significantly in Saudi. We will also try to enhance the investments by the Saudis in our country as well as putting more of our products in the Saudi market. It is also an opportunity that Counties can receive with open minds, package their products well and sell to the Gulf, he said.

Muturi said institutions of learning keep producing skilled young people who can effectively compete for employment on a global stage.

He continued, “We need to foster diplomatic ties and harness our historic relations with the authorities in Saudi Arabia to have our people secure as many jobs as possible, especially in the formal sectors of their economy.”

The Speaker made a comparison with African countries, like Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea, Somalia and Ethiopia, who have given the Saudi more than 400,000 citizens each.