Multiple women have come forward alleging that their pleas for help at Kenyan embassies abroad were met with demands for sexual favors from diplomats.**
Kenyan Maids Face Exploitation by Diplomats While Seeking Aid Overseas**
Kenyan Maids Face Exploitation by Diplomats While Seeking Aid Overseas**
Reports reveal that Kenyan maids fleeing abuse abroad encountered serious sexual exploitation by embassy officials, compounding their suffering.**
In a shocking revelation, numerous Kenyan women, who sought refuge at their embassy in Riyadh from abusive employers in Saudi Arabia, have reported that they faced further exploitation at the hands of embassy officials. Selestine Kemoli, one such woman, fled her abusive employer and turned to the Kenyan Embassy in 2020 for help. However, instead of receiving the support she desperately needed, she encountered Robinson Juma Twanga, the labor attaché, who allegedly made a predatory proposition.
Ms. Kemoli described a horrifying scenario where Twanga suggested that in exchange for assistance, she would need to engage in sexual acts, stating, “I will sleep with you, just the same way your boss has slept with you.” This account is not isolated; several other women, unaware of each other's experiences, have come forward with similar testimonies alleging that Twanga demanded sex or financial compensation in exchange for aid.
Legal representatives have reported a growing number of such allegations against various embassy officials, illustrating a disturbing pattern of exploitation where vulnerable women face denigration and abuse at their most desperate moments. The accounts paint a harrowing picture of a system meant to protect citizens abroad, instead engaging in practices that further victimizes those seeking help.
This pressing issue raises significant concerns about the accountability of diplomats and the mechanisms meant to protect battered workers abroad, urging both the government and human rights organizations to take immediate action against these alleged abuses.
Ms. Kemoli described a horrifying scenario where Twanga suggested that in exchange for assistance, she would need to engage in sexual acts, stating, “I will sleep with you, just the same way your boss has slept with you.” This account is not isolated; several other women, unaware of each other's experiences, have come forward with similar testimonies alleging that Twanga demanded sex or financial compensation in exchange for aid.
Legal representatives have reported a growing number of such allegations against various embassy officials, illustrating a disturbing pattern of exploitation where vulnerable women face denigration and abuse at their most desperate moments. The accounts paint a harrowing picture of a system meant to protect citizens abroad, instead engaging in practices that further victimizes those seeking help.
This pressing issue raises significant concerns about the accountability of diplomats and the mechanisms meant to protect battered workers abroad, urging both the government and human rights organizations to take immediate action against these alleged abuses.
