Kenyan Domestic Workers Face Brutal Exploitation Under Saudi Arabia’s Kafala System

A new report by Amnesty International has brought renewed attention to the widespread mistreatment of Kenyan domestic workers in Saudi Arabia, revealing a pattern of exploitation, abuse, and systemic failures rooted in the kingdom's controversial Kafala system. 

The report, released this week, details harrowing accounts from 72 Kenyan women who returned home between 2020 and 2024, documenting instances of physical, psychological, and financial abuse at the hands of their Saudi employers.

These women reported enduring racial slurs, severe restrictions on their freedom, excessive working hours without fair compensation, and violent assaults, including sexual assault. Confined to their employers' homes, some were deprived of adequate food and subjected to unrelenting labour beyond the scope of their contracts.

At the heart of the issue is Saudi Arabia’s Kafala system, a labour sponsorship system that grants employers significant control over foreign domestic workers. Under this framework, a worker’s visa and legal status are inextricably linked to their employer, effectively stripping them of autonomy and rendering them vulnerable to mistreatment. Workers cannot freely change jobs or leave the country without their employer’s permission, making escape from exploitative situations nearly impossible.

Amnesty International’s report traces the historical roots of the Kafala system, drawing parallels between it and the historical trade in enslaved people from East Africa to the Arab world. Researchers argue that the system perpetuates racial and economic disparities in the Gulf region. Despite international condemnation, Saudi Arabia has not sufficiently reformed its labour laws to protect domestic workers, who remain excluded from standard employment protections.

Many of the women interviewed reported being deceived about their working conditions before leaving Kenya. Recruiters often present attractive offers, manageable workloads, reasonable salaries, and regulated hours, only for workers to discover upon arrival that the reality was far different. One woman recounts expecting to work for a small household but found herself responsible for caring for a family of 14, working around the clock with no rest. 

Others describe being forced to perform tasks beyond their job descriptions, such as cleaning multiple households or caring for children despite being hired for other roles. Financial exploitation was also widespread. Contracts that promised a set wage were frequently violated, with workers receiving significantly less than expected, if anything at all. Some had their earnings reduced for arbitrary reasons, while others were completely denied their salaries.

The abuse extends beyond exploitative work conditions to outright violence. Workers report being spat at, slapped, insulted with derogatory names, and even raped. One respondent shares that her employer explicitly told her, “I bought you. You belong to me.” These words reflected the dehumanisation many domestic workers experience, being treated more like property than human beings.

Despite growing concerns over the treatment of domestic workers in Saudi Arabia, the Kenyan government has actively encouraged its citizens to seek employment abroad. With nearly 40 per cent of Kenyans living below the poverty line in 2022 and rising unemployment rates, labour migration has become an attractive solution for economic relief. Remittances from Saudi Arabia more than doubled between 2020 and 2022, highlighting the financial impact of these migrant workers on Kenya’s economy. 

Officials estimate that there are up to 200,000 Kenyans residing in Saudi Arabia under regular migration status, including over 150,000 domestic workers, most of them women. This high demand for overseas labour has made it difficult to slow recruitment, despite consistent reports of mistreatment. However, Amnesty International’s findings underscore that the risks often outweigh the benefits. Most of the women interviewed have vowed never to return to Saudi Arabia, citing their traumatic experiences and the lack of protections as reasons to dissuade others from seeking similar work opportunities.

The Amnesty International report serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for reform within Saudi Arabia’s labour policies, particularly concerning domestic workers. Human rights advocates are calling for the abolition of the Kafala system, stronger legal protections for foreign workers, and stricter accountability measures for employers who violate labour rights. While Saudi Arabia has made incremental changes to its labour regulations in recent years, these measures have failed to address the fundamental causes of abuse. 

The exclusion of domestic workers from the country’s labour laws continues to leave millions vulnerable to mistreatment. Ultimately, Amnesty International’s findings expose a system that thrives on exploitation, sustained by economic desperation and institutional neglect. Until comprehensive changes are implemented, domestic workers—especially women—will continue to face abuse, with little recourse for justice.