Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has disclosed that a staggering 316 Kenyan citizens have lost their lives while working in Gulf countries since 2002.
Responding to questions from senators regarding the number and identities of Kenyans working in Gulf States and those who have lost their lives since 2022, Mudavadi provided a detailed breakdown of the deaths by country.
According to the official records, Saudi Arabia has seen the highest toll, with 166 Kenyan lives lost.
This is followed by Qatar with 58 deaths, United Arab Emirates with 51, Iraq with 25, Bahrain with 10, and Kuwait with 6 Kenyan citizens.
Notably, Oman and Iran have not reported any Kenyan deaths during this period.
“The records we have show that the total number of Kenyans who have lost their lives in the Gulf Regions is 316.”
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“The breakdown is as follows Saudi Arabia (166) Qatar (58), United Arab Emirates (51) Iraq (25), Bahrain (10), Kuwait (6) Oman (0), Iran (0) the total 316,” said Mudavadi.
Mudavadi Outlines the Ministry’s Protocol
When questioned about the support provided by the Kenyan government to the families of those who have died overseas, Mudavadi detailed the ministry’s aligned protocol.
He said, upon receiving reports of a Kenyan’s death abroad, the ministry’s missions immediately notify the family of the demise.
This process involves liaising with the employer, foreign recruitment agent (if they are foreign based), or the local recruitment agent based in Kenya to gather information about the deceased and their next of kin.
The Case of Mildred Busolo Lisanza
The CS also referenced the case of Mildred Busolo Lisanza, a 30-year-old woman who reportedly died in Saudi Arabia under mysterious circumstances.
“She was reported to have died on 5th February 2024 in Saudi Arabia, the mission established that at the time of her death the deceased was employed on a valid contract,” noted Mudavadi.
Her family had earlier shared that Mildred had been employed in the Middle Eastern country for a year, regularly sending money home for the first five months.
However, she suddenly stopped communicating with her loved ones, leaving them in the dark about her situation until they received the heartbreaking news of her death from her employer.
“The circumstances surrounding her death remain unclear, but her employer told us that they found her dead one morning,” said a relative.
They also told the family that they intended to bury Mildred in Saudi Arabia, citing financial constraints as the reason for not repatriating her body to Kenya.
This left the family in a desperate situation, prompting them to appeal to the government for help.
Mudavadi Gives an Update on Mildred’s Case
In response, Mudavadi, in his report to the Senate, provided an update to the case noting that the Kenyan mission in Saudi Arabia had established contact with Mildred’s family and obtained a post-mortem report, which indicated that the cause of death was suicide.
“The mission through the recruitment agencies established the contacts of the deceased family and obtained a post-mortem report to establish the cause of death and preparation of the body for reparation back home (Kenya).”
“The repatriation of the body took long since the post-mortem report indicated that the cause of death was suicide and investigations were ongoing which affirmed the same,” he said.
However, the repatriation of Mildred’s body was delayed as the employer initially declined to take responsibility, citing the “non-natural” nature of her death.
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“For this reason, the employer who otherwise was supposed to assist with the cost of reparation declined to take responsibility, citing that the death was not a natural occurrence.”
Following this development Mudavadi, revealed that the Kenyan embassy in Saudi Arabia had to escalate the matter to the labor authorities to compel the employer to fulfill their obligations under the employment contract.
After persistent efforts, the employer eventually agreed to take responsibility, and Mildred’s body was repatriated to Kenya on May 9, 2024.
“I therefore wish to report that the employer after the pressure eventually took up the matter and the body was of Ms. Mildred Busolo Lisanza was repatriated to Kenya on Thursday 9th May, 2024” said Mudavadi.
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