Jobs Abroad?....It's Actually Export Of Slaves!

[Mangele]

Two Kenyan men are appealing for help after they were trafficked to Taiwan on the promise that they would be connected to opportunities allowing them to perform in art shows.

According to the two men who spoke during an interview with Taiwan News Plus, they were lured to the foreign nation by an unscrupulous agent who learned about their acrobatic skills. He would then lead them to believe that a world of opportunities was awaiting them.

The men revealed that they had escaped from their hosts who had forced them into hard labour in agriculture fields and recycling plants in an unidentified part of the Asian nation.

During the interview, the two revealed that since escaping they had been living in shelters. They categorically stated that their problems started after being forced to sign contracts they barely understood.

Collage image of man crying at a travel agency in Nairobi and the travel agency locked after a DCI raid on April 17, 2024.

From the interview, it emerged that they had allegedly been forced to take up jobs which paid them less than the minimum wage despite the Taiwanese labour regulations classifying their daily engagements as white collar jobs.

On top of that they were forced to sleep in horse stables after a gruelling day of work.

The two therefore appealed for placement in the Taiwanese performing arts jobs industry insisting that it would be a boost for them to make use of their talents.

“As for me if I can get a chance to work in a circus, I would be grateful because that is a talent inside of me. I keep on training even if I won’t work anywhere," stated one of the men.

According to Taiwanese labour authorities, the two may be victims of a human trafficking syndicate that has been smuggling migrant workers to the country.

Two South African men arrested on human trafficking charges

Kenyan workers have been in the recent past been victims of rogue agents who take advantage of desperate persons struggling to secure jobs in their home country.

In February 2024, a Kenyan woman passed away after freezing in the cold at a shelter in Canada where she was awaiting her documents to be processed.

Reports indicated that the lady had just arrived at the North American country three days prior to her death in search of greener pastures.

[Mangele]

Fox News host Jesse Watters recently came under fire for saying that a $20-an-hour salary equals “six figures” per year

A few days ago, Fox News Host Jesse Watters came under fire on the Internet for the comments he made while on the PBD podcast.

While promoting his new book, Watters talked about fast-food workers’ wages. One particular remark caught much attention. “If you’re making $20 an hour to work in a fast-food restaurant, is that six figures?” Watters asked, prompting people to wonder whether he was just awfully out-of-touch or couldn’t do simple math.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1778453981808717875

Fast food workers earn a minimum of $20 an hour only in California, thanks to a new 2024 law

As someone in the comments already did the math for Watters, we won’t attempt to correct him. However, in the clip, Watters claims that $20 an hour is the average salary for fast-food workers. In reality, the average salary for a fast-food worker in the U.S. can be anywhere from $12 to $20 per hour. The wage depends on what state you’re in, what kind of experience you have, and what position you’re working.

Fast-food industry workers have been fighting for an industry-wide pay floor for a long time. In 2012, in the campaign “Fight for $15,” fast-food workers advocated for a minimum wage of $15 per hour. And it was somewhat successful: six states and many cities, among which were San Francisco, New York City, and Seattle, implemented laws that secured the minimum wage for fast-food workers.

On April 1st this year, a minimum wage law took effect in California. From then on, the minimum salary for fast-food workers in the state is $20 an hour. The co-chair of the Labor Center at the University of California, Berkeley, Ken Jacobs, told ABC News that this is now the new benchmark. “We went through the Fight for $15 and now $20 is out there as a new target wage.”

In contrast, the minimum wage for all other workers in California is $16 an hour. Experts worry that this win for fast-food workers might have a spillover effect. Wanting to retain their workers, other employers might have to raise their wages as well. “Anyone in California making less than the new minimum wage in fast food will say, ‘Hey, I can get a job at Wendy’s, McDonald’s, or Taco Bell and make more money,'” Jacobs explained.

However, the law is only good news for some. Non-fast-food franchise owners fear they won’t be able to keep up and will face workforce shortages. An owner of 10 Auntie Anne’s Pretzels and Cinnabon restaurants, Alex Johnson, told AP News how he already had to lay off some staff from his office. “I try to do right by my employees. I pay them as much as I can. But this law is really hitting our operations hard,” he said.

[Mikymas]

@Mangele

…ys prior to her death in search of greener pastures.

Tom Cruise Running From a Sandstorm Meme (With Audio)

[Maize_Combuster]

Yaani msee anakutoa Kenya kwenda Taiwan under the pretext of kupiga cartwheels na somasaults but unajipata unalima hata kushinda tractor ya Massey Ferguson? You can’t make this shit up. A Kikuyu must be involved.

[Mangele]

Company Directors Allegedly Con and Assault 50-Year-Old Man Seeking to Relocate to Canada

• by HELLEN NJOROGE on Sunday, 28 April 2024

A 50-year-old chef was left smarting after being conned and assaulted in Malindi by the directors of a company that moonlights as a travel agency on April 15, 2024.

According to the man whose identity has been based on the sensitivity of the matter, his woes began when he first interacted with the company’s directors after they made a presentation at a hotel in Nyahururu, Nyandarua County.

The company officials in their presentation, drummed up their experience in assisting migrants to relocate to Canada for the last eleven years.

So convincing was the pitch that the man signed up for the immigration process.

According to Usikimye, a human rights organisation, which first shared the information online, the victim sold a piece of land to acquire the Ksh250,000 agency fees needed to facilitate the relocation.

Screengrab of victim assaulted by company directors in Malindi
He later paid the fees after he received a letter of appointment as a sous chef in Canada at an unspecified hotel. His application for the said position is said to have been successful.

However, on the fateful day when he was set to relocate to Canada, the directors received him at a bus centre in Malindi on April 16.

On the material day, nothing appeared off. He was ushered to the back seat and his belongings packed in the trunk.

The victim recounted being offered apple juice from an unopened carton, which he drank before feeling drowsy and losing consciousness.

He later regained consciousness at a field in Malindi known as Uwanja wa Ndege, where he was found without pants and experiencing severe pain in his head and backside.

A medical report from a Malindi General Hospital confirmed that he had been drugged and sexually assaulted.

“'He was admitted to the hospital - unfortunately, due to the doctor’s strike, he was discharged, given diapers and painkillers. The medics referred him to Usikimye”’, stated the reports.

The reports come at a time when another individual camped at a travel agency in Nairobi on April 17 demanding refund of money he had deposited with a travel agency.

Following complaints, DCI officers raided the agency and confiscated computers and documents from the organization’s offices.

[Mangele]

Hundreds of Kenyans seeking job opportunities in Saudi Arabia have been put on high alert following a crackdown by the kingdom on illegal activities.

In the latest operation by Saudi authorities, over 50 people, including 11 women, have been arrested in what officials describe as a fight against “immoral acts.”

Some of the vices the Saudi government is targeting include begging and sex work.

In a bid to curb these activities, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Interior has established a new special unit focused on tackling “community security and human trafficking.” This has since led to the arrest of dozens of foreign workers.

Inside the Shimeisi Prison in the Governorate of Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

The crackdown comes at a time when an increasing number of Kenyans are moving to the Gulf in search of employment, primarily in domestic work and other semi-skilled jobs.

In recent times, some Kenyans have been duped by rogue recruitment agencies into travelling to countries like Saudi Arabia, only to find that the jobs they applied for do not exist. This plight leaves many stranded without work, forcing some to resort to begging as a means of survival—a practice now being targeted in the Gulf.

As recently as February, four expatriates were arrested by Saudi police for engaging in ‘immoral acts’ at a massage facility in Riyadh. A police raid in the capital also led to the arrest of three foreign women accused of engaging in sex work.

Saudi authorities have also intensified efforts to curb street begging, a practice that often involves foreigners who arrive in the country under false promises of employment.

While it remains unclear why the crackdown has gained momentum in recent months, experts believe it could partly be due to the Saudi government’s efforts to maintain the nation’s clean image ahead of the 2034 World Cup, which Saudi Arabia is hosting.

Khalid Al-Sulaiman, a columnist for the semi-official Okaz newspaper, also believes the crackdown could be linked to the heightened social media advertising of businesses categorised as immoral in the Middle East.

By maintaining a conservative image, Saudi Arabia increases its chances of attracting lucrative foreign investment in preparation for the global tournament.

Dig deeper: Kenyans are likely to be targeted by the crackdown, especially if a recent report by the National Employment Authority (NEA) is anything to go by.

According to the report, the government has facilitated the immigration of more than 200,000 workers abroad since 2024, with Saudi Arabia being the largest recipient of the workers in that time with at least 194,320 placements.

[Mangele]

At least 274 Kenyan workers dead in Saudi Arabia over past five years

Report states that women from Kenya and Uganda are returning from the Gulf kingdom with stories of detention, beatings, starvation and sexual assault - or in some cases in coffins

At least 274 Kenyan workers, most of whom are women, have died in Saudi Arabia over the past five years despite being a young workforce in non-dangerous jobs, according to a New York Times report published on Sunday.

Old City of Jeddah, known as al-Balad, in Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast

Large numbers of Ugandan workers also died in the Gulf kingdom, but Uganda’s government does not release official figures.

Thousands of Ugandan and Kenyan women travel to Saudi Arabia each year to take up domestic jobs such as housekeepers and nannies. But many are returning with stories of unpaid wages, detention, beatings, starvation and sexual assault. Others have returned in coffins.

Among those who died, autopsies often revealed evidence of trauma such as burns and electric shocks - but Saudi authorities labelled the deaths as natural causes.

Eunice Achieng, a Kenyan housekeeper, called home in 2022 and said that her boss had threatened to kill her and throw her in a water tank. She was later found dead in a rooftop water tank, in what Saudi police labelled a “natural death”.

Ugandan worker Aisha Meeme also died in the kingdom. The Saudi autopsy found extensive bruising, three broken ribs and severe electrocution burns on her ears, hands and feet. Saudi authorities said she died of natural causes.

Faridah Nassanga worked as a housekeeper in Saudi Arabia until, one day, her employer’s husband raped and abused her. Nassanga became pregnant, and her employers put her on a plane back to Uganda. She is now seeking compensation.

The New York Times interviewed more than 90 workers and the family members of those who had died.

The investigation found that influential figures in Kenya, Uganda and Saudi Arabia owned staffing companies and were turning a blind eye to abuses and deaths.

Members of the Saudi royal family, including descendants of King Faisal, were investors in agencies that place domestic workers, the report said. A director of a Saudi human rights board, a former interior minister, an investment ministry official and several government advisers served as vice chairs of major staffing agencies, it added.

Kenyan and Ugandan politicians, and their families, also own staffing agencies.

While some other countries had secured deals with Saudi Arabia to ensure worker protections and wage standards, Kenya and Uganda had failed to do the same, the report stated.

A spokesperson for Kenya’s presidency said the government was taking steps to protect workers and weed out unlicensed recruiting firms.

A Saudi labour ministry spokesperson said: “Any form of exploitation or abuse of domestic workers is entirely unacceptable, and allegations of such behaviour are thoroughly investigated.”

Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.

[Mangele]

64 Kenyans rescued from Myanmar, awaiting Thailand border reopening for evacuation

When Kenyan Maids Sought Help Overseas, Diplomats Demanded Sex

Women say that embassy officials added a new level of indignity to the abuse they suffered while working abroad.

Faith Gathuo.Credit…Kiana Hayeri for The New York Times

Listen to this article · 5:15 min Learn more

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By Justin Scheck and Abdi Latif Dahir

Reporting from Nairobi and many towns around Kenya.

• April 4, 2025

Selestine Kemoli fled to the Kenyan Embassy in Riyadh in 2020, terrified and desperate.

Ms. Kemoli had been working in Saudi Arabia as a maid. Like many East Africans in her situation, she said, she was being abused. She told the embassy’s labor attaché that her boss slashed her breasts with a paring knife, forced her to drink urine and raped her.

Broke and alone, she wanted help getting home to her two children in Kenya.

“You are beautiful,” the labor attaché, Robinson Juma Twanga, responded, according to Ms. Kemoli.

Mr. Twanga offered to help, she said, but with a catch. “I will sleep with you, just the same way your boss has slept with you,” she remembers him saying.

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Multiple women, who did not know each other and lived in separate counties, told The New York Times that when they fled abuse in Saudi Arabia, Mr. Twanga demanded sex or money, or pressured them to go into sex work to pay for a ticket home.

Image

Robinson Juma Twanga, the Kenyan labor attaché, during a conversation about protecting overseas workers in 2021.

Lawyers say they have collected similar accounts from numerous women involving other embassy officials. They said that Mr. Twanga is but one example of how these officials exploit women at their most vulnerable moments.

Subscribe to The Times to read as many articles as you like.

Justin Scheck is a London-based reporter for The Times. More about Justin Scheck

Abdi Latif Dahir is the East Africa correspondent for The Times, based in Nairobi, Kenya. He covers a broad range of issues including geopolitics, business, society and arts. More about Abdi Latif Dahir

[Lionheart]

@Mangele

… She told the embassy’s labor attaché that her boss slashed her breasts with a paring knife, forced her to drink urine and raped her.

Broke and alone, she wanted help getting home to her two children in Kenya.

“You are beautiful,” the labor attaché, Robinson Juma Twanga, responded, according to Ms. Kemoli.

Mr. Twanga offered to help, she said, but with a catch. “I will sleep with you, just the same way your boss has slept with you,” she remembers him saying.

The earth is filled with shenzis like that; I believe her. Mambo ya Uarabuni si mchezo, some get lucky, but many also die, horribly. And that savagery is a culture, it’s been known for many years, it’s not about to change just because of these new media reports.
If the option you have is to go to Saudia as a maid, afadhali kukaa tu Vumbistan ung’ang’ane uwezavyo.

[Mangele]

The government will launch an investigation against a Kenyan official who previously worked at the Kenyan Embassy in Saudi Arabia after an exposé by The New York Times revealed that officials demanded sexual favors before helping Kenyans in distress.

In an article published on April 4, The NYT reported that Kenyans working in Saudi Arabia faced abuse and exploitation.

When these women sought help from Kenyan embassies, they reported being insulted, dismissed, and even subjected to demands for sexual favors by several diplomats, one of whom was named.

Speaking during an interview on Spice FM, State Department for Diaspora Affairs PS Roseline Njogu described the situation as concerning and assured that the government would take action against one of the officers named in the article, despite the incident having occurred five years ago.

Riyadh

According to the CS, the named officer was fired from the Embassy, but the government will ensure that an investigation is opened and that he faces charges for his offense.

“The said officer is no longer an employee of the Government of Kenya. This will be investigated, and we will deal with it,” the PS said.

However, Njogu pointed out that despite the ordeal having occurred five years ago, there was no formal complaint against the said officer. She revealed that, like many Kenyans, the government learned about the issue through the article.

The PS has urged Kenyans in the diaspora to be open and report such instances to ensure safer working environments.

“The most concerning thing is that to date, five years later, we do not have a formal complaint against this person. I understand victims of such incidents find it difficult to come out and report, but we encourage reporting of these cases,” the CS said.

The PS further revealed that, to combat future incidents and deal with corrupt officials, the Ministry has established a special email address for Kenyans in the diaspora to report such cases — one that is accessible only to the PS.

Speaking during the interview, the PS also urged Kenyans to thoroughly vet recruitment agencies before traveling abroad to ensure they are working with legally accredited agents.

She emphasized the importance of conducting due diligence to avoid falling victim to fraudulent or unregistered organizations, which could expose travelers to risks such as exploitation and mistreatment.

The development comes after Kenya received the last batch of Kenyans who had been stuck in Myanmar, where they faced mistreatment, abuse, and torture.

[Mangele]

The Senate has announced that it will scrutinise rogue labour export agencies and hear from the victims of the shortlisted candidates fleeced on the diaspora job programmes under the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection.

The developments come after nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba tabled a statement on the floor of the house on the shady deals behind the ring.

Additionally, Orwoba wrote to the National Employment Authority (NEA) to demand the refund of the funds that the various applicants are reported to have paid through the authority.

‘‘I am writing to formally request for a full refund of medical fees paid by individuals who enrolled in the Bobasi Diaspora Jobs programme, a partnership between my office and the National Employment Authority that began in August 2024,’’ Gloria’s letter read in part.

Orwoba, in her letter, demanded that NEA explain to Kenyans the lack of transparency after she discovered that the 300 jobs initially promised did not exist despite the agency’s assurances.

The Senator put NEA on the spot for failing to provide a clear timeline on travel dates, despite being a government agency entrusted with managing employment matters.

‘‘The failure to provide a clear timeline or assurance regarding travel dates has resulted in significant inconvenience to the shortlisted individuals who have dedicated their time and resources towards this programme,’’ she stated.

“Given the circumstances, I request an immediate full refund of the amounts paid. All fees were paid directly to two paybills provided by NEA agents through mobile paybills: 247247 (Account 845577) and 880100 (Account 9095770018). Proof of payment can be provided upon request.”

In response, according to a letter from the Senate signed by the Clerk of the Senate, Jeremiah Nyengenye, and seen by Kenyans.co.ke, the house will hear from the victims on Monday, April 28.

According to the Clerk, the victims will be required during the meeting to submit relevant documentation and evidence that will assist the Senate Committee on Labour and Social Welfare to rein in the rogue labour agencies.

‘‘At its meeting held on Thursday, 17th April, 2025, the Committee considered a statement by Sen. Gloria Orwoba, MP regarding the fate of candidates shortlisted for the diaspora jobs programme under the Ministry of Labour & Social Protection and resolved to invite the affected victims to a meeting of the Committee,’’ the letter from the Clerk read in part.

‘‘In this regard, the Committee invites you to appear before the Committee on Monday, April 28, 2025, at the First Floor, Mini Chamber, County Hall, County Hall Building at 11:00 am to share your experience and submit any relevant documentation or evidence that may assist the Committee in its deliberations.’’

[Mangele]

https://x.com/AokoOtieno_/status/1923977567515689044?t=RjwPeMBvU4ney4Nrdxnf_g&s=04&fbclid=IwY2xjawKXUEdleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFvbTZvVEh4elBsRmdDNDFnAR5NPV-ZBL2gVP1cUPxQ0hhKUP8ys4I8oq6GvMePKkpHarmcAwYtu3dbINmEWQ_aem_PVc5h4y4lbJH1tbRtbUxbQ

[Mangele]

A Kenyan man, Duncan Okindo, has filed a petition at the Employment and Labour Relations Court seeking compensation for what he describes as a gross violation of his rights after allegedly being trafficked to Myanmar under false pretenses.

Okindo claims he was lured by the promise of a customer service job in Bangkok, Thailand, but was instead smuggled across the Moei River into Myanmar and forced to work in a cybercrime compound where he was coerced into executing complex online fraud schemes.

In his suit, he accuses Gratify Solutions International Ltd, Virginia Wacheke Muriithi, and others of orchestrating his trafficking, subjecting him to modern slavery, forced labour, and servitude, in direct violation of multiple constitutional protections, including rights to dignity, freedom, and protection from exploitation.

The court has since certified the petition as urgent and issued temporary orders barring the company from recruiting or exporting Kenyan workers abroad.

Okindo, represented by lawyer Lilian Nyangasi, further claims he was subjected to a forced HIV test and denied freedom of movement during his captivity, alleging that his ordeal is part of a wider trafficking syndicate preying on vulnerable job seekers globally

[Mangele]

The government has revealed plans to introduce orientation programmes for Kenyans transitioning to other countries via visa lotteries in a bid to suppress the accelerating rate of psychological distress among Kenyans in foreign countries.

In a statement on Sunday, June 8, the state Department for Diaspora Affairs noted that most Kenyans, especially the youths, who travel abroad through the visa lotteries often end up experiencing culture shock, and if they lack guidance, most of them end up grappling with mental issues.

The department asserted that providing orientation programmes to these Kenyans will be critical in ensuring that the Kenyans have an easy time manoeuvring through job markets, social systems, and community integration.

“A key concern raised was the increasing psychological distress among diaspora communities, especially young adults grappling with culture shock and identity issues,” the department stated.

The announcement was made after the department’s Director, Skills and Expertise Division, Irene Karari, met with the President of Uplifted Care Services, Bill Akuma, in Minnesota, USA, to deliberate on issues affecting Kenya abroad.

“The discussions focused on enhancing diaspora welfare by establishing comprehensive support systems overseas and effective reintegration frameworks for returnees,” the statement from the state department stated.

According to Akuma, the government should also be at the vanguard of providing additional tools to families who have already relocated abroad to ensure that they can overcome communication barriers.

The department asserted that the empowerment of Kenyans in the diaspora is key to unlocking valuable human capital for both domestic and diaspora needs.

“The meeting recognised the vast, untapped potential within Kenya’s global professional diaspora, noting that many trained doctors, counsellors, trainers, and other specialists are spread worldwide without coordinated engagement,” it stated.

This comes a month after the United States of America released, on Saturday, May 3, the results of the 2026 Diversity Visa (DV) lottery programme.

The DV lottery program is a U.S. government program that awards up to 55,000 immigrant visas each year to individuals from countries with low immigration rates to the United States.

The programme is engineered to promote diversity by offering a chance to immigrate to the U.S. to eligible individuals from countries whose populations are not heavily represented in U.S. immigration.

All those who participated in the applications, which happened from October 2 to November 5, 2024, were advised to visit the Entrant Status Check on the E-DV website using the unique confirmation number received during the DV-2026 online registration.

[Mangele]

[Mangele]

Wakamba Dominate Overseas Jobs as MPs Summon CS Mutua

Members of Parliament have questioned the Cabinet Secretary for Labour and Social Protection, Alfred Mutua, after a report revealed that only Makueni, Machakos, and Kitui counties have benefited from overseas job placements.

These are the home counties of Mutua, who has now been summoned by the MPs to explain the matter.

According to a report presented to the National Assembly’s Committee on Diaspora Affairs and Migrant Workers, only three out of Kenya’s 47 counties have so far benefited from overseas job placements.

The MPs questioned the fairness of the process and demanded clarification on the criteria used to select candidates.

A photo of jobseekers in Nairobi queuing for interviews

Director General of the National Employment Authority (NEA), Edith Okoki, appearing before the committee chaired by Lydia Haika, was questioned about the apparent regional imbalance in the selection of candidates for international employment.

“The Authority is unable to explain the criteria used for selecting candidates who travelled abroad, as we did not participate in the recruitment,” Okoki told the MPs.

She also confirmed that none of those who got overseas jobs were selected through NEA’s online system, even though many Kenyans had applied using that platform.

However, the Committee urged NEA to reconsider its approach to mobilising and recruiting applicants.

“There is no need to mobilise an entire county when only ten slots are available. If the opportunities are limited, say so clearly. You need to rethink your recruitment strategy,” Haika said.

MPs noted that they were not impressed with the recruitment process and have therefore scheduled a joint meeting with the Ministry of Labour and the National Employment Authority to discuss a way forward.

Mutua has been at the forefront in urging Kenyans to apply for various overseas jobs, although the mass recruitment drive has received significant backlash.

The government announced in February that it would give loans of up to Ksh300,000 to Kenyans seeking jobs abroad to facilitate their travels and other expenses. The loans will be drawn from the Youth Enterprise Development Fund (YEDF).