Kenyan Foreign Ministry tells parliament to ban travel to Saudi Arabia

By Andrew Wasike

NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) - The Kenyan Foreign Ministry wants to issue a temporary travel ban to Saudi Arabia because of rising abuse cases reported by Kenyans in the kingdom, according to a report Thursday.

A local news website quoted Principal Secretary Ambassador Macharia Kamau speaking to the Labor and Social Welfare Parliamentary Committee on Thursday where he urged the ban to safeguard Kenyans who are being mistreated in Saudi Arabia.

“It warrants bold and decisive action to curb further suffering of Kenyan domestic workers in Saudi Arabia,” said Kamau. “It should not be seen to be condoning such high number of deaths and distress of citizens’, the majority of whom are young and vulnerable women.”

Kamau said the Foreign Ministry raised concerns in July and recommended a ban on travel until adequate protection measures are put in place.

The ban would last until protective measures are given to Kenyans who have been recruited for employment in Saudi Arabia.

According to a report by the Labor Ministry, 93 Kenyan migrants workers have been killed in Gulf countries since January 2019. The number is in the hundreds of those who have been hurt and injured while working in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and the Emirates.

Kenyan rights groups have been vocal on the issue and have pressured the government to return the bodies of Kenyans killed in the Gulf.​​​​​​​