A Kenyan worker is now living on the streets of Dubai after his employer evicted him and withheld his passport, demanding AED 3,000 (Sh105,500) for its release.
Mr Nashon Mulwa, 27, left Taita Taveta in July 2023 in search of better opportunities, but his employer threw him out of his accommodation, making him homeless.
His journey from Taveta to Dubai began with high hopes after his parents paid Sh180,000 to an agent who promised a lucrative job with a Sh80,000 salary per month.
However, upon arrival, he discovered that his actual salary was only Sh30,000 while working as a cleaner.
Despite the significant pay cut, he continued to work but the employer still failed to remit his full salary until he questioned about it.
According to the mother, Ruth Juma, Mulwa was only being paid one month's salary after three months of work.
"He worked for 10 months until June last year when he was told by the employer that he must first recover the costs that they incurred for his flight ticket. When he questioned it, he was chased away from work and subsequently evicted from his accommodation," she narrated.
Ms Juma, who is distraught over her son's predicament, recounted how he returned to work the following day only to be chased away again.
With no place to stay, he ended up on the streets.
"A passer-by noticed his plight and connected him with other Kenyans, but without an income, he could not afford to share a room with them so he went back to the streets," she narrated.
Ms Juma said she has approached the Department for Diaspora Affairs and the National Employment Authority (NEA) in Nairobi multiple times since October last year, but her pleas have gone unanswered.
Local leaders have also been unhelpful, leaving the family in a dire situation with nowhere to turn.
As the family continues to seek help, they remain hopeful that someone will come forward to assist them with his siblings, who are still in school and look up to him as their role model.
Mulwa is the only hope of his four siblings, with one set to join university this year. His father, who was the family's breadwinner, is now incapacitated by a severe skin disease, making the son's support crucial for the family's survival.
"We just want our son to get his passport back and get employment. He is our only hope," the mother said, her voice filled with despair.
"She told me it is not her job to follow up on such matters. Her work is only to fly people out for work. It feels like she was just a broker," the mother lamented.
"My family's situation is becoming increasingly desperate. I fear that my son might be arrested and charged for being in a foreign country illegally. He is back on the streets, and I am terrified he might be arrested. We have tried everything, but no one is willing to help us," she added.
The family is now appealing to well-wishers and relevant authorities to intervene and help their son get his passport back.
"Even if he comes back home, we just want him safe. He is the only hope we have," the mother added, her voice breaking with emotion.
Mr Mulwa's situation paints a picture of the challenges faced by some Kenyans seeking employment abroad.
The government has promised better opportunities abroad but they often come with hidden costs and risks, leaving families in distress when things go wrong.
The lack of support from agents and authorities only exacerbates the situation, leaving individuals like Mulwa vulnerable and stranded in foreign lands.
"My son is also living in fear. When we talk, he tells us we might one day fail to get him on the phone. If that happens we don't know where to get him," the mother told Nation.africa.
However, Labour Principal Secretary Shadrack Mwadime said the matter will be addressed.
"Noted. Let me forward your text to our Labour attache in Dubai, for action," he said in a WhatsApp message.
By the time we went to press, the family said that they had been contacted and informed that they would receive feedback on Monday next week.
