Senators Demand Action Over Abuse of Kenyan Migrant Workers in Gulf

Kenyan senators are demanding accountability for the treatment of the country’s migrant workers in Gulf states.

Kiambu Senator Karungo Thang’wa said Joseph Kiongozi was arrested in Riyadh shortly after reporting threats linked to his efforts to highlight the difficult conditions faced by Kenyan workers. Kiongozi’s situation worsened when his wife died soon after his detention, leaving their child without parental care. 

Thang’wa described the incident as a clear example of the risks encountered by Kenyans who travel abroad under promises of well-paid jobs but instead face intimidation and mistreatment. The Senate debate focused heavily on the conduct of recruitment agencies, which lawmakers say include unlicensed firms operating under the protection of powerful individuals in Parliament and the labour ministry. 

These agencies are accused of sending job seekers to the Gulf and abandoning them when problems arise, raising concerns about oversight and responsibility within the recruitment sector. Embu Senator Alexander Mundigi added that his recent visit to Qatar revealed widespread complaints from Kenyan workers about unsafe conditions, unequal pay compared with other nationalities, and severe emotional strain. 

Many of those workers, he said, were hired by agents acting outside the law, leaving them without effective support. Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi noted that the exploitation of Kenyan migrants in Gulf countries has persisted for years. 

He said government officials already know the individuals behind fraudulent recruitment operations and called for a full audit of the agencies involved, arguing that identifying their owners would be straightforward if the authorities acted decisively. Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei urged the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs to account for what he described as insufficient action to protect Kenyans abroad. 

He said Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and senior officials should appear before the Senate to explain the government’s position. Marsabit Senator Mohamed Chute added that the problems seen in Qatar, including confiscated passports, overcrowded housing, and ongoing pay disparities, signal fundamental breaches of workers’ rights.