A family from Pombo village, Kwanza Constituency of Trans Nzoia County is crying out for government to intervene and save the life of their ailing daughter stranded in Saudi Arabia without immigration documents.
The family cannot secure the daughter’s freedom because the employer confiscated her passport.
Betty Wanjala left her village on October 3, 2020 for the Gulf country to work as a domestic worker in order to raise funds to support her two children and her mother.
Speaking to the media at her home, Fenike Ondusa, mother of the 25-year-old woman said that her daughter’s tribulations started when she demanded salary from her employer.
“After serving her boss diligently for nine months, she was told there was no salary, when she asked why, her boss assaulted her and threatened to murder her claiming she had bought her,” Ondusa said.
With tears rolling down her cheeks, Ondusa said her daughter locked herself inside her employer’s bathroom when she threatened to shoot her.
“She told me that the bathroom saved her because her boss wanted to kill her using a gun. When she had left, Betty climbed up and jumped out then ran away where she was rescued by a Good Samaritan,” she said.
The family in agony said they are unable to raise Sh400, 000 to facilitate her air ticket back home.
“Her passport was confiscated. We are stuck because we can’t raise the 400,000 shillings needed for her journey back home, we are therefore appealing for help because we need her alive not inside a casket,” she moaned.
Emma Wanjala said her younger sister has since developed high blood pressure and is currently battling an unknown cardiac condition as well as renal disease.
She added that Betty had been raped multiple times while working at her employer’s house.
“When we last talked, she was in pain; she said she had developed blood pressure which she didn’t have before. She said her heart was not good and her kidneys are also damaged, in fact in one of the photos she shared, her feet were very swollen,” Emma said.
She further called on the government to intervene so that all Kenyans who are stuck in Saudi Arabia can be repatriated when they are still alive.
The family reported that their efforts to reach out to the agency that sent their daughter to Saudi Arabia have been futile.
James Mwangi, Bidii Ward Member of County Assembly said all the agencies’ licenses should be revoked and fresh vetting conducted.
“It cannot be business as usual. All the agencies engaging in this business should be vetted a fresh so that we weed out rogue agencies,” Mwangi said.
By Kosuri Valarie
