Kenyan woman in Lebanon calls for help

By Joseph Masha

A 30- year-old woman who is stranded in Lebanon is seeking Government assistance to travel back to Kenya.

Mrs Kadzo Karisa landed in trouble after she differed with her employer in Lebanon where she worked as a house help.

The Kenyan ambassador in Lebanon Mr Benjamin Mweri in a letter confirmed to have been informed about the plight of the woman through her husband Mr Fred Konde. Konde has sought the assistance of the embassy to enable his wife return home.

"Mr Konde officially communicated to our embassy in Lebanon complaining that his wife is stranded after she differed with her employer over hard labour and poor pay. We are tackling the matter to ensure she travels back home," said Mweri in the letter.

Karisa, a mother of four, left Kenya on January 5 for Lebanon where she had been promised a job as a house help for Sh56,000 per month.

"I had accompanied a friend to Mombasa to get travel documents to one of the Arab countries for a job and while at the offices, an agent approached me for the same offer which I accepted and finally travelled to Lebanon where I met my present problems," said Karisa.

She told The Standard on telephone from Lebanon that her employer offered her Sh18,000 per month contrary to the earlier agreement with the Kenyan agent.

Karisa also complained that she was exposed to hard labour and allowed to sleep for only three hours.

She said that after they differed, she decided to abandon the job and return home but her employer declined to release her demanding to be compensated Sh250,000 he had incurred while processing her passport, visa and travel expenses.

"My employer locks me in the house day and night and when I ask him to let me free and return home, he becomes mad insisting that I have to pay the money he used when processing my travel documents," said Karisa.