Kisii Family Appeals for Urgent Repatriation of Ailing Daughter in Saudi Arabia

A Kenyan family is urgently appealing for government assistance to bring home their daughter, Brevah Nyaboke Mokua, a 23-year-old domestic worker in Saudi Arabia who has fallen seriously ill and is reportedly being held by her employer until a payment of KSh 92,000 is made.

Nyaboke, a mother of one from Kisii County, left Kenya on 23 October to work as a domestic helper in Saudi Arabia, hoping to support her family financially. Shortly after her arrival, she became unwell and was allegedly forced to continue working across two households despite her deteriorating health. 

She told The Kenyan Diaspora Media that her employer and recruitment agency have refused to release her or allow her to return home unless her family pays the demanded sum.

“I am unwell and can barely work, but I’m being told I must first pay KSh 92,000 before being released. I just want to come back home and get treatment,” she said in a phone interview.

Her brother, Amos Mokua, described her as hardworking and pleaded with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Kenyan Embassy in Riyadh to intervene before her condition worsens. The family says they cannot afford the amount being demanded by the agency.

Nyaboke’s case reflects the persistent challenges faced by many Kenyan domestic workers in the Gulf region. Official data shows that over 200,000 Kenyans are employed in Saudi Arabia, with more than 150,000 working in private homes. While some report fair treatment, many face exploitative conditions that violate international labour standards.

A 2024 Amnesty International report documented widespread abuses, including forced labour, confiscation of passports and withheld wages. Between July 2023 and June 2024, Kenya’s Ministry of Labour repatriated 758 migrant workers, 740 of them from Saudi Arabia. 

Data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics indicates that 166 Kenyans died in Saudi Arabia in 2024-over half of all Kenyan deaths abroad that year. Despite bilateral labour agreements between Kenya and Saudi Arabia, enforcement remains weak. Many workers are left without support once abroad, especially when recruitment agencies impose illegal fees or fail to uphold contractual obligations. 

Although Saudi authorities reduced the maximum recruitment cost for Kenyan domestic workers in January 2024, from KSh 462,000 to KSh 382,000, reports suggest that some agencies continue to exploit workers through financial barriers.

Labour migration experts have urged the National Employment Authority (NEA) to tighten oversight of recruitment firms and penalise those found in breach of regulations.

Families facing similar situations are advised to contact the Kenyan Embassy in Riyadh or the State Department for Diaspora Affairs (SDDA), which provides emergency hotlines and complaint channels. Human rights groups, including Amnesty International and Haki Africa, also assist in advocating for the rights of migrant workers.