Exposé Unveils Harsh Realities Faced by Kenyan Domestic Workers in Saudi Arabia

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A New York Times exposé, published on April 4, 2025, has peeled back the curtain on a shadowy world of abuse, exploitation, and diplomatic impunity—one that many African governments have long ignored in favor of remittance-driven economic strategies.

The report details how a Kenyan woman, Selestine Kemoli after fleeing an abusive employer, sought help from her own embassy in Riyadh.

Instead of finding safety, she was reportedly propositioned by a diplomat, who allegedly demanded sexual favors in return for assistance. The labor attaché has been identified as Robinson Juma Twanga according to Ms. Kemoli.

The case has sparked outrage across Kenya and beyond, highlighting the deep-rooted vulnerabilities faced by domestic workers in the Gulf.

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More Than Just One Case: A Systemic Crisis

The diplomat scandal is just the tip of the iceberg. The New York Times investigation uncovered a grim reality for many Kenyan domestic workers—beatings, starvation, sleep deprivation, sexual abuse, and imprisonment.

Many women work 18-hour days, are denied pay, and have their passports confiscated, rendering them helpless in a foreign land.

This is the dark underbelly of Kenya’s labor export model. With over 100,000 Kenyans working in Gulf nations—many of them women employed in private homes—the human cost is mounting. For years, workers have returned home traumatized, some in coffins, others with harrowing stories of survival.

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The Kafala Trap

At the heart of this crisis is the controversial Kafala system, which ties workers’ legal status to their employers.

Under Kafala, employers wield absolute control over workers, who cannot leave their jobs or the country without permission. This power imbalance enables rampant abuse, as highlighted by the Times report.

Once inside Saudi Arabia, many Kenyan workers are isolated, cut off from the outside world, and too fearful to report mistreatment. Even those who reach out to Kenyan embassies often face bureaucracy, neglect, or, as the exposé suggests, exploitation by those meant to protect them.

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Diplomatic Failure, National Shame

The exposé is also a scathing indictment of diplomatic failure. Rather than protecting their citizens, some Kenyan embassy staff appear either powerless or complicit. In some cases, workers are turned away when they seek shelter or legal assistance.

The fact that a diplomat—a figure trusted to uphold international standards—is at the center of such allegations raises serious questions about diplomatic immunity, ethical conduct, and oversight. If those in power exploit the vulnerable, who will protect them?

Mr. Twanga is no longer employed by the government of Kenya, as confirmed by Roseline Njogu, Principal Secretary for Diaspora Affairs. His current position remains unclear.

But the PS promises to escalate the issue.

In a recent interview on a local radio station, Ms. Njogu expressed regret that the victim had not reported the issue, while assuring that the perpetrator would be held accountable and punished according to the law.

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