283 Kenyan Migrant Workers Died in Gulf in 3 Years

The Kenyan government has revealed that 283 Kenyan migrant workers died in the Gulf countries between January 2020 and November 2022.

Labour CS Florence Bore told Parliament on Wednesday that 185 deaths occurred in Saudi Arabia, 45 in the United Arab Emirates, and 53 in Qatar.

The causes of death ranged from illness to homicide. Bore said that the next of kin were appropriately notified of the reported death cases through the established channels.

Bore also said that Kenyan migrant workers working in the Gulf are entitled to medical care, but those residing there without legal residency permits or runaways who vacate their contracts face challenges in accessing health services.

She said that 175 dispute cases were filed by Kenyan migrant workers in those three Gulf countries in 2023 alone. Of these, 121 cases were resolved through involving parties in conflict and the Saudi authorities where necessary. A total of 97,173 Saudi Riyal were subsequently recovered and paid to the respective parties.

The conflicts revolved around unpaid wages, change of employer, workload, exit after concluding an employment contract, medical treatment, injury being held in recruitment agencies, accommodation without being allocated employment, runaway employees, residency ID, travel documents and regular extension of contracts.

Bore said that Kenyan workers in the Gulf are mainly employed in the Education, banking, hotel and catering, transport and Agriculture while majority are domestic workers.

“The number of Kenyans you find in Saudi Arabia are 200,000 with 151,687 working in the domestic sector,” Bore said.

The CS was summoned by the National Assembly to appear before the plenary pursuant to Standing Order 42A (6B).