More than 100 Kenyans stranded in Cambodia for months are pleading with the government for immediate rescue, saying they face intimidation, abuse and threats to their lives.
Nancy Akinyi, 29, one of the stranded Kenyans from Olympic Estate in Kibera, Nairobi, told the Nation that more than 100 of her compatriots are being held in restricted conditions, subjected to intimidation and threats.
“We are not free to leave. We are constantly intimidated, and our lives are in danger. The situation is urgent and getting worse,” she said in an internet call.
Akinyi travelled to Cambodia in May 2025 on a visitor visa after being recruited by an agency promising her a cosmetology job. On arrival, she discovered the offer was false.
She recounted being driven to unknown locations, locked up, and moved only at night. Many compatriots, she said, were sexually assaulted or beaten for refusing sexual acts. Others were injected with unknown substances and threatened with organ harvesting.
Her ordeal escalated in December when she was “sold” to another handler, only to be caught in a police raid. Though briefly released, she was later detained by immigration officers who demanded she buy her own ticket home. When her family raised the funds, she was told the ticket was fake.
Incidentally, this was also the time the government was sending out warnings against travelling to Asian countries like Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand for jobs. Then Kenyan ambassador to Thailand, Lindsay Kiptiness, had released a video message warning against taking up online jobs advertised for roles such as teaching English or IT specialists, saying there were scams.
Akinyi claims they have not gotten assistance from the Kenyan government despite repeated calls to the mission in Bangkok, which oversees consular affairs in Cambodia. She described harrowing scenes at the detention centre, saying:
“The other day, at least 20 Kenyans came to immigration. They were told to pay $1,500 to be admitted. When they said they had no money, officers unleashed dogs on them, and they had to run away.”
Kenya’s State Department for Diaspora Affairs confirmed the matter is being handled by the Bangkok mission, which is liaising with local authorities.
“The case is with Bangkok, and they are handling it. Once we get more information, I will pass it along,” a senior official told the Nation .
Kenya has rescued over 100 Kenyans who have been trafficked to Myanmar through Thailand, official records show. Many more were still held up in camps.
Not allowed to talk to the media
The stranded group of Kenyans is all in a WhatsApp group, where the majority of them say they want to return home. However, there was suspicion that recruiters had infiltrated the group to monitor their conversations.
“Be careful, some of the people here are recruiters. If they know you work for a media house, they will kick you out,” one of the Kenyans stranded there told me separately.
True to her word, minutes after this reporter was added to the group, one of the other members started asking why Kenyan journalists were being added. By the time of filling this report, this writer's phone was flagged and stopped from accessing WhatsApp.
Kenyan journalist' flagged and stopped from accessing WhatsApp.
Photo credit: Pool
This latest crisis highlights Kenya’s dilemma: promoting overseas jobs under the Kazi Majuu programme while guarding against trafficking syndicates exploiting job seekers.
Last year, Diaspora PS Roseline Njogu urged Kenyans to verify opportunities through licensed agencies and avoid travelling on visitor visas for work.
Cambodia and Myanmar have been flagged as high-risk destinations. In December, Kenya repatriated 119 citizens from scam compounds in Myanmar, with efforts ongoing to rescue nearly 200 more.
“The government of Kenya remains committed to the welfare of its citizens abroad,” the Diaspora Department said, warning against tourist visas marketed as convertible to work permits.
