Alfred Mutua heads to Saudi Arabia amid employment challenges for Kenyan workers
A day after he was sworn into office, Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Dr Alfred Mutua has taken up the responsibility of improving the welfare of Kenyans living and working in the Gulf.
The soft-spoken CS announced on Friday he will visit Saudi Arabia in a bid to experience first hand and attempt to solve challenges faced by Kenyans in the gulf country.
He also held talks with H.E Khalid Abdullah Alsalman, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Nairobi, and appreciated the role of the foreign’s government’s role in employing close to 104,000 Kenyans.
“We discussed issues of mutual interest including the welfare of Kenyan workers,” he said.
Mutua’s efforts come as Kenyans who claim to be stranded in Saudi Arabia after falling out with their employers continue to ask for help from the government.
Others Kenyans have also died in controversial circumstances amid reports of mistreatment and torture, while others are said to be working in less-than-ideal conditions.
In September, the Commission on Administration of Justice (CAJ) released its investigation report that detailed the gaps in the Bilateral Agreement including lower wages being paid to Kenyan workers in comparison to their counterparts doing the same kind of work from other countries, unequal timelines for notice of termination of employment, and a lack of clear sanctions for rogue domestic workers.
The Ombudsman’s report asked the Office of the President to initiate a multi-agency integrated system for all stakeholders that will work on the issues surrounding Kenyan workers not only in Saudi but those employed in foreign countries.
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