Judy Gatwiri
- Add new comment
- 481 views
Judy Gatwiri, a 33-year-old woman, spent seven months in police custody in Beirut, Lebanon, waiting to be rescued after her employer could not prove a theft accusation against her.
Gatwiri's ordeal began with aspirations of providing a better life for her children through work as a domestic helper. Gatwiri's release on August 30, 2024, was made possible through the collaborative efforts of the Kenyan Embassy in Kuwait and a group of Ameru professionals known as Meru Progress. After learning of her plight through media reports, the latter raised over Sh105,000 to cover evacuation costs. Dommy Nturibi, an administrator of Meru Progress, says that they coordinated with the Kenyan Embassy in Somalia to facilitate Gatwiri's return.
The circumstances leading to Gatwiri's detention were rooted in alleged mistreatment by her employer. After enduring four months of what she described as slave-like conditions, Gatwiri left her initial placement. Subsequently, she was arrested and charged with theft, a claim she vehemently denied. Despite the lack of evidence, she remained in custody due to the complainant's refusal to withdraw the case. Life in detention proved challenging for Gatwiri who relied on the charity of other detainees' relatives for sustenance, as the facility did not provide meals.
Her communication with family was limited to handwritten notes, photographed and sent by sympathetic officers. Upon her return to Kenya, Gatwiri arrived without personal belongings but expressed gratitude for her survival. Gatwiri has appealed to the Kenyan government to assist other citizens in similar situations, estimating that at least 20 Kenyans in Lebanon are seeking repatriation assistance. Julius Kobia, an official at the Kenyan embassy in Somalia, emphasizes the need for stricter regulations on recruitment agencies to ensure support for stranded Kenyans abroad.
Human rights organizations are advocating for improved regulations and support systems and bilateral agreements between Kenya and host countries to safeguard citizens working overseas.
Comments
Before anyone blames our sisters for immigrating to the Arab world for work, please first consider Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs which teaches us that lower needs have to be met before the higher ones. If a person is starving and there is a loaf of bread next to a lion, he or she will risk being devoured by the lion in order to get the bread. Our girls are in the same predicament because employment opportunities are scarce in Kenya.
It appears that some of our brothers and sisters who travel to these Arab countries have no idea of what to expect...,or at least their expectations are usually not those stipulated by the agencies that facilitate their travel.Why doesn't the government promulgate the existing laws so that those who wish to take the risks are at least aware of what to expect?
"Human rights organizations are advocating for improved regulations and support systems and bilateral agreements between Kenya and host countries to safeguard citizens working overseas."Shouldn't this be in place by now,after what we have been reading ?