Protect Kenyans working in Gulf or stop hiring

Diana Chepkemoi’s story has once again brought to the fore the suffering that Kenyans go through in the Gulf countries, specifically Saudi Arabia. This is not the first one. Several Kenyans returning from Saudi Arabia have narrated harrowing tales of mistreatment by their employers.

Statistics show that at least 30,000 Kenyans migrate to the Middle East every year in search of greener pastures. There is a common belief that going abroad opens a world of opportunities that cannot be found at home. In fact, there was a time when the whole village would escort one such hopeful to the airport while bidding them a teary goodbye and blessing them to “go out there and prosper”. It was thought that they would open the way for others and send money back home and to help their younger siblings.