Kenyan Diplomats Accused of Exploiting Vulnerable Maids Overseas

Multiple Kenyan women have reported that embassy officials, while they sought refuge from abuse in the Middle East, took advantage of their precarious situations by demanding sex or money in exchange for assistance.

In a heart-wrenching narrative that highlights the plight of many East African workers abroad, Selestine Kemoli's story sheds light on a disturbing issue plaguing the Kenyan Embassy in Riyadh. In 2020, after enduring severe abuse—including being slashed with a knife and raped—Kemoli turned to the embassy for help to return home to her children. Instead of support, she faced even more indignity. The labor attaché at the embassy, Robinson Juma Twanga, allegedly made a repulsive proposition, saying, “I will sleep with you, just the same way your boss has slept with you,” after attempting to offer assistance.

Reports indicate that Kemoli is not alone; numerous women have come forward with allegations against embassy officials, stating they were coerced into unwanted sexual advances, financial exploitation, or even pressured toward sex work to secure their passage home. Lawyers handling cases for these women have corroborated their accounts, indicating that exploitation by embassy representatives is a widespread issue, not just isolated to Twanga.

The narratives shared by these Kenyan women reveal a dark side of migrant labor in the Middle East, where many endure horrific working conditions under foreign employers, only to find further victimization from their own country's representatives when they seek refuge. The spotlight is now on the need for reforms within the embassy to protect these vulnerable workers and ensure that they can access the support they desperately need without facing harassment or exploitation.