According to a report from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in Kenya, in the past two years, 89 Kenyans working as domestic workers have died in Saudi Arabia. According to Saudi officials, the deaths were due to suicide, cardiac arrest, and natural deaths. However, autopsies conducted in Kenya suggested that torture and other human rights abuses had occurred.
Most of these abuses are perpetrated under an exploitative Saudi Arabia Kafala system that provides the employer extensive control over the employee. The Kafala system also enables the buying and selling of domestic workers openly through social media. Sadly, the Kenyan government has done less to help Kenyans facing abuse.
Rights groups, labor organizations and governments around the world must advocate for the end of the highly oppressive Kafala System. Equally, the Kenyan government should fast-track the establishment of the labor protection infrastructure, such as official labor and welfare offices both in Kenya and Saudi Arabia….
To read more, check full article on Face2Face Africa.