By John Kamau
A family from Ngorongo village in Gatundu North, Kiambu County, can now heave a sigh of relief after the body of their kin that was held in Saudi Arabia for three months was released.
The body of Lilian Kanyi was held by authorities in the Middle East country, since her demise in March this year, after her family failed to raise the sh 368,000 that was required for her hospital bills.
Her grieving family had struggled for months to repatriate her body, to give her a befitting send-off, until the Government through President William Ruto intervened and settled the bills as well as facilitated repatriation of her body.
On Tuesday, the harrowing three-month wait for her inconsolable family came to an end as they received a casket bearing Kanyi’s remains at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA)
Family and friends who addressed journalists at KU Funeral Home where the body was taken for preservation ahead of burial on Friday this week said they had lost hope in having the body repatriated.
They said they had conducted numerous harambees trying to raise the required fees in futility until the government gave them a shoulder to lean on.
“We’ve had sleepless nights since my daughter passed on. The Saudi Government had indicated that they’d dispose of her body if we failed to remit the required amount to secure her body’s release. We are however grateful that our leaders and especially our MP [Elijah Njoroge Kururia] made swift interventions and helped us get our daughter back,” said Grace Wanjeri (the deceased’s mother.
Accompanying the family from JKIA, Gatundu North MP Elijah Njoroge Kururia urged the government to crack down on rogue labour agents after a spate of Kenyan domestic workers deaths in the Gulf.
He noted that desperation and high unemployment levels have pushed many young people to take dangerous risks in hopes of better opportunities outside the country.
“We notified the Agent who took Kanyi to Saudi Arabia of her demise but they didn’t respond. They never cared. This is a serious matter and it’s high time the government cracks the whip on these rogue agents who abandon their clients in times of need,” Kururia said.
He made the statement as human‑rights organisations continue to report dozens of similar cases in recent years, citing abuse, unpaid wages and denial of medical care.
Kururia criticized the lack of regulation in the labor export industry and called on the government to tighten oversight on agents recruiting Kenyans for jobs abroad.
He urged the government to come up with better mechanisms of protecting Kenyans who travel away from the country in search of greener pastures emphasizing the risks many face once abroad.
“We appreciate the help that was accorded to us by the Kenyan consulate in Saudi Arabia. However, the government should consider establishing a full-fledged Embassy in that country for the sake of protection among other needs of Kenyans working there,” he said.
The MP also called on the government to ensure that Kenyans working abroad get proper medical cover and especially the Social Health Authority (SHA) to facilitate their access to healthcare.
“When a Kenyan working abroad doesn’t have health cover, the burden to facilitate medical care is usually shouldered by their relatives. This is a challenge to our government through the Ministry of Health to ensure that SHA covers all Kenyans working overseas,” Kururia said.
Kanyi’s death adds to a growing list of similar cases reported over the years involving Kenyan domestic workers in Middle Eastern countries, where many have faced abuse, overwork, withheld wages, and lack of medical care.
“There are numerous cases of Kenyans being subjected to brutality by their employers; many are nursing life-threatening injuries while others, like Kanyi, have lost their lives. The Government must work on ensuring that Kenyans working abroad and especially in the Gulf are protected,” said resident Samuel Njenga.
While the Government has made numerous efforts to formalize labor migration through bilateral agreements, critics argue that enforcement and follow-up mechanisms remain weak, leaving many Kenyan workers vulnerable.
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