House team probes Saudi torture claims
Parliament’s Committee on Defence and Foreign Relations is investigating claims of cruel labour practices against Kenyans working in Saudi Arabia.
Addressing a news conference at Parliament’s Continental House, Committee chairman Aden Keynan said reports of rape and killings of Kenyan workers in the Gulf state had reached alarming levels.
This, he added, had prompted Parliament to act, with a view to unearthing the broken link in the international labour market that exposed Kenyans to forced labour.
In recent weeks, there have been cases of Kenyans killed, raped or maimed by their employers.
Saboti MP Eugene Wamalwa (PNU) said Kenyans working abroad were a very important component to the country’s economy and their plight had to be addressed promptly.
The House team has therefore appealed to Kenyans who have been through any nasty experiences in Saudi Arabia to appear before it and share their experience.
“As Parliament, we want to know what’s happening and advise the government on the best way to put a stop to these cases,” said Mr Keynan.
Similarly, Attorney General Amos Wako, who had just appeared before the committee said that the issue was of “great concern” to the government.
However, he said, the ministry of Labour was in a better position to protect Kenyans from being exploited in other nations.
Mr Wako said even though Kenyans were preferred employees in the Middle East labour market “because they are hardworking”, there was need for rules to govern recruitment.
“There is a huge problem (of exploitation) at the domestic servant level,” said the AG, adding that Kenyans in higher cadre jobs were relatively safe.
THE NATION
Comments:
Just another example of slave labor and abuse in the spoiled, corrupt arab world. If it’s not your arab raping and abusing a Philippines maid than its some arab employer raping, killing or not paying a worker. If all these workers stop going there and go elsewhere to work, let’s see how long these arrogant uneducated, backward a-rats last not knowing how to do anything themselves.