The departure area of the international airport in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. If you go there on any day of the week, you will see women in groups. Many of them are wearing similar T-shirts, taking selfies with the excitement of fulfilling their dreams. Some of them are busy discussing what they will do with the salary they receive in their new jobs.
These Kenyan women are going to work in Saudi Arabia. Encouraged by the Kenyan government and enticed by the recruiting agency, they are traveling abroad in a group. They will stay in Saudi Arabia for two years. They will work as domestic workers. Then, with the salary money, they will build houses in the country, educate their children and turn their fortunes around, and secure their future—these are their expectations.
However, there is a big difference between expectations and reality. This can be understood if you go to the arrival area of the same airport. Many female workers there return from Saudi Arabia facing the harsh reality of losing their dreams. Some of them may not have received proper salaries. Some have gone hungry day after day. Some have been beaten. Some have been sexually abused or raped. There are many who have returned home in coffins.
At least 274 Kenyan workers have died in Saudi Arabia in the last 5 years. Most of them are women. Of these, 55 died in 2024. This number is double that of the previous year. The autopsy reports are vague and contradictory. It has been said that some may have died of trauma. Some died of burns or electrocution. That is, they died naturally. The cause of death of one woman was written as 'brain dead'.
Not only Kenya, many female workers from another African country, Uganda, have died in Saudi Arabia. Although the Ugandan government has not released that number.
Influential people are involved
Fabian Kaule Muli works to protect these women who were deceived in Saudi Arabia. He is the vice chairman of the Kenyan parliament's labor committee. This influential committee can demand an investigation into the cause of the deaths of female workers. It can pressure the government of his country to negotiate with Saudi Arabia for better protection. It could even draft legislation to temporarily suspend immigration until necessary reforms are completed.
However, like many other government officials in East Africa, Fabian Kaule Muli owns an agency that sends women workers to Saudi Arabia. Margaret Muthu Mueni, one of the workers who went to Saudi Arabia to work through this agency, said that her Saudi employer had withheld her passport. He publicly announced that she had been “bought” from Kenya. He did not provide her with regular food.
In this situation, Margaret called Fabian’s agency for help. Then a representative of the agency that sent the workers told her, “You can swim across the Red Sea and then return to your country (Kenya).”
A New York Times investigation found that there are special incentives for sending workers through agencies of influential people, despite widespread abuse in Kenya, Uganda and Saudi Arabia. Members of the Saudi royal family are major investors in the agencies that recruit domestic workers. In Kenya and Uganda, politicians and their family members own the companies that send workers.Sometimes the lines between government and business influence are blurred. For example, Fabian’s Labour Committee is supposed to be a vocal advocate for the protection of workers going to work abroad. But this committee has often denied this even when evidence of abuse has come to light.
Four Ugandan women working as domestic workers in Saudi Arabia sent a video to an aid agency last month. They say that all four of them have been imprisoned in Saudi Arabia for six months.
In the video, one woman says, “We are tired of being held against our will.” The woman also said that they went to Saudi Arabia through a company owned by a leader of Uganda’s ruling party. Later, Ugandan media learned that the company is owned by the brother of the country’s president. Despite repeated contacts with the Kenyan and Ugandan companies that sent workers to Saudi Arabia, they refused to comment on the matter.
The African countries of Kenya and Uganda have been going through a long economic recession. One of the sources of income for both countries is the huge remittances sent by workers abroad (expatriate income). Many countries in the world send workers to the country only after receiving assurances of the safety of the workers from Saudi Arabia. A search of the documents shows that Kenya and Uganda did not get that opportunity.
Kenyan President William Ruto said that he is interested in sending about half a million workers from Kenya to Saudi Arabia in a few years. His senior adviser Moses Kuria owns a company that sends workers. Kuria's brother also has such a company. He is a local politician.
President William Ruto's spokesman Hussein Mohammed said that the Kenyan government has taken various initiatives to protect migrant workers. For this, unregistered companies are being identified and action is being taken. When asked whether it is a conflict of interest for the president's senior adviser to run such a company, the spokesman said, "No." Because, he does not work on the government's labor issues.'
A company that sends workers from Uganda to Saudi Arabia is owned by a recently retired officer of the country's police force and a former Ugandan military attaché in the United States, Major General Leopold Kayanda. These companies work in close relations with Saudi Arabian recruiting agencies.
All the incidents of torture
Younis Achieng went to Saudi Arabia from Kenya as a domestic worker. In 2022, she called home in panic. She said that her employer had threatened to kill her. He had thrown her into a water tank. Younis Achieng said in a frightened voice, 'Please save me!'
But there was no salvation. Younis Achieng's mother said that her daughter's melted body was eventually recovered from the water tank on the roof of the house. At that time, Saudi authorities said that the body was so decomposed that it was difficult to understand the cause of her death. Later, Saudi police described Younis Achieng's death as a 'natural death'.
Another young mother jumped from a three-story building to escape her abusive employer, breaking her spine. Another woman alleged that her employer raped her. She was sent back to her country when she became pregnant. The woman was left homeless.
The New York Times spoke to Issako Moses Waishawa, a Ugandan man whose wife, Ayesha Meme, died while working in Saudi Arabia. Issako said his wife’s employer gave him two options: either he could get her body back or he could get $2,800 in unpaid wages. He was told to choose either.
“I told him, ‘You send me the unpaid wages or you don’t, I want my wife’s body back,’” Issako said.
An autopsy report in Saudi Arabia said Ayesha was emaciated. Her body bore extensive injuries. Three of her ribs were broken. She had severe electric burns on her ears, hands and feet. Saudi authorities have nevertheless declared Aisha to have died of "natural causes".About 500,000 workers from Kenya and Uganda are now working in Saudi Arabia. This is the official count of Saudi Arabia. Most of them are women. They mainly work as domestic workers, cooking, cleaning and looking after children. Journalists and rights groups say that they have long been reporting on worker abuse in Saudi Arabia. And the country's outdated labor laws are to blame.
The New York Times spoke to more than 90 workers working in Saudi Arabia and family members of deceased workers. Another reason for the same situation has emerged day after day. That is, the powerful are benefiting from the existing system.
These interviews and necessary documents have shown that in the entire process, female workers are considered 'household goods'. They are destined to be thrown away after purchase. Several companies have added an 'add to cart' option on their websites next to pictures of female workers, similar to those used for online purchases. There is even an advertisement for 'Kenyan domestic workers for sale'.
Saudi government initiative
Mike Goldstein, spokesman for the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Human Resources, said that the Saudi government has taken steps to protect foreign workers. Any form of exploitation or abuse of domestic workers is completely unacceptable. Allegations of such behavior are being thoroughly investigated.
Mike Goldstein also said that the government has increased the amount of fines in cases of abuse. The process of quitting the job of workers has been simplified. Working hours have been limited to 10 hours a day. One day off has been provided a week. He said that the Saudi government has made arrangements to pay domestic workers online. Those who repeatedly violate labor laws will also be identified one day.
Mike Goldstein also commented that there are multiple ways for workers to report abuse and wage arrears or violations of contracts, including hotlines, digital platforms and direct complaint submission processes.
However, Milton Turiasima, Assistant Commissioner for the Ministry of Gender, Labor and Social Development in Uganda, said, "Abuse is still widespread. We receive complaints every day.’
Farida’s hard life
Farida Nasangar’s home is in Kampala, the capital of Uganda. We talk to her while sitting in front of her one-room mud house. There is an open drain next to it. The cooking facilities are on one side. There is a three-tier bed in the only room. She lives there with her mother and children.
‘We are very poor,’ said Farida. She said that she was introduced to a broker from Murphy International Recruitment Agency through a friend. That was in 2019. One of the owners of this organization is Henry Tukahirwa. He was a top officer in the Ugandan police force. He recently retired.Finally, Farida went to Saudi Arabia to work as a domestic worker for a monthly salary of $200. But luck was not on her side. Farida said that one day her employer's husband suddenly entered her room. He raped her. He also kicked and slapped her.
Farida became pregnant due to this incident. The employer put all the responsibility on Farida. Later, she was put on a plane to Uganda. Farida is now trying to get compensation after returning home. She is now being provided with legal assistance by an organization run by Abdullah Kiyonder.
Abdullah said that Farida knows the name of her employer. But she does not know his phone number. Now Farida can get information only from the organization involved in the recruitment process.
Accordingly, Farida contacted Murphy International Recruitment Agency in Kampala. The organization contacted their Saudi partner but did not receive a response. Later, the matter was reported to the Saudi embassy.
After all this, Farida now lives with her mother in the same small one-room house. She has two previous children with her. Farida gave birth to a son after returning from Saudi Arabia.
Jumped from the third floor
Another female worker named Mary Nissimenta described the torture. She told the New York Times that she worked as a cleaner and took care of five children in a house in Najran, southern Saudi Arabia. The children were between 9 and 18 years old. The children beat her with sticks. Bleach was poured into her eyes.
Mary said that her employer did not want to pay her. After repeatedly demanding her salary, one day she was locked on the roof of the three-story building. She fainted there in the scorching heat without food or water. She thought she might die there.
Mary jumped from the third-story roof to the street outside. She injured her spine. Mary said, "I crawled to the street. Then passersby took me to the nearest hospital. The spine was treated. I reported the abuse to the police and doctors. But they told me to go back to work.’
When Mary refused to go back to work, the Saudi Arabian placement agency sent her back to her home country (Uganda). Although she returned home in 2023, she is no longer able to work due to chronic pain. Friends and relatives have taken over the care of her children. ‘My life has been completely destroyed,’ says Mary.
Rush to return home
According to Saudi labor law, when a worker needs to return to his or her home country, the employer or the Saudi government must bear the cost. “Under no circumstances will an employee be financially responsible for repatriation,” said Mike Goldstein, a spokesman for the Saudi Ministry of Human Resources.
The reality is different. Workers returning from Saudi Arabia and organizations working on workers’ rights say that workers are forced to bear the costs. Those who cannot afford it are also detained.
The reason for this is related to visa employment. Those who quit their jobs risk losing their legal legitimacy. The Saudi government has tasked an organization called ‘Sakan’ to solve this problem. They will provide housing and legal assistance to foreign workers facing various problems.
Hannah Najeri Miriam’s home is in the Rift Valley of Kenya. In 2022, she stayed at a shelter run by Sakan while working in Saudi Arabia. At one point in the argument, his employer fired him from his job. As a result, he had no choice but to seek shelter with his relatives.Hannah's family members said that the staff of the organization contacted the family. They were told that Hannah could return home if she could pay $300 for the travel expenses. Later, Hannah spoke to the family members on the phone and said that she was mistreated at the shelter.
However, no one could pay the $300 to rescue Hannah. One day, a female worker at the shelter called Hannah's family. She said that Hannah had fallen from the second floor while trying to escape and died.
An autopsy was performed. The report stated that Hannah died from a head injury. Later, Saudi police said that Hannah died due to heart and respiratory failure.
Sakan authorities declined to comment on Hannah's death. And Mike Goldstein, a spokesman for the Ministry of Human Resources, refused to comment on the death of just one worker. It was not stated why the autopsy and police reports came up with different reasons.
However, Mike Goldstein said that the Saudi government stopped funding Sakan in 2023. Now another organization called 'Samasco' is performing this role.
There are also allegations against this organization. Three Kenyan women sheltered by the organization told the New York Times, on condition of anonymity for security reasons, that they would not be allowed to return home unless they paid $400 each. The organization did not respond to requests for comment.
The woman was sexually harassed and abused by her employer in Saudi Arabia. She also called the recruiting agency in the country and sought help. A few days later, Millicent's husband, Obua Simon Areba, received a phone call from Saudi Arabia. He was informed that his wife was no longer alive. The Kenyan government attributed her death to a 'nervous problem'.
During the funeral ceremony, Millicent's body was laid out in an open coffin. She was wearing a white dress and a headscarf. A six-foot-tall photo of Millicent was placed next to the coffin. The photo was taken of her standing outside the airport on her way to Saudi Arabia. Millicent's eyes sparkled with joy. She raised her finger and made a 'V' sign for victory. But her hope of happiness returned to her homeland, confined to her coffin.
-New York Times